Punt Drunk: Birdsville in shambles, spring stars return
You can smell it. Breathe it in. Spring has sprung. For us punters, it’s Christmas Day every Saturday for the next three months, so it’s only fair that we really take it in. While we haven’t got any Group 1 races this Saturday, there are genuine stars returning to the track, namely Zaaki, Eduardo and Coolangatta, so the hype levels are right up there. Around the grounds, there has been a little bit happening, particularly out west at Birdsville. The Punt Drunk team has your Friday racing fix sorted.
GETTIN’ JIGGY WIT IT
It’s one of the most famous racing carnivals in the world, but Birdsville has been in the news for all the wrong reasons this week. The famous carnival was scheduled to start today (Friday), but the Day 1 meeting has been washed out, which probably isn’t a bad thing. After scratchings, there were just 21 horses set to run across six races. That’s an average field size of 3.5, so it would have been awful racing and horrible for turnover. Day 2 isn’t much better – if they race.
Unfortunately for the club, the washed-out meeting is the least of its worries at the minute. One of country Queensland’s best trainers, Todd Austin, had a couple of his horses photographed at trackwork during the week. One of his Birdsville Cup hopes was being ridden by Ric McMahon, and an eagle-eyed punter picked up something shocking in his hand – pardon the pun. The image of the jigger did the rounds, and it forced the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission to scratch all of Austin’s horses and stand down McMahon.
THE TREK BEGINS
At Thursday morning’s barrier trials at Canterbury, some of the nation’s top sprinters stretched their legs ahead of their Everest campaigns. While the speedy trial star that is Overpass was out to stake his Everest claim, past winners Nature Strip and Classique Legend just coasted in behind, with Lost And Running closing off strongly.
If there was a visual dictionary, ‘bolting’ would refer you to Nature Strip’s final furlong in that trial. The reigning champion looks to have come back brilliantly following his Royal Ascot victory, meaning he is well and truly on track for another shot at the world’s richest race on turf. Classique Legend, the big grey – emphasis on ‘big’ – was a pass for us. He didn’t catch the eye by any means, but he didn’t shit the bed either, so we’ll wait to see what he does first-up before we put a pen through him completely.
One of the most anticipated Trials of the year!🤩🏔️
1⃣ Overpass
2⃣ Nature Strip
3⃣ Classique Legend
4⃣ Lost And Running pic.twitter.com/NRNf8IenzK— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 31, 2022
THE STARS STEP OUT
At Randwick on Saturday, a couple of short-priced favourites step out. Zaaki and Eduardo have won over $13 million in prizemoney and seem to not age. Now eight and nine years old, respectively, the two warhorses meet some quality opposition in their this weekend, but the online bookmakers (and us) still want to be with them.
Zaaki is looking to win back-to-back Tramway Stakes, while Eduardo is hoping to kick off his campaign with a win in the Concorde Stakes, following previous winners Redzel and Nature Strip towards The Everest. It’s always an exciting time of year when these big guns step out, and even more exciting when they anchor 15 multi bets for the weekend. Give them strength.
EDUARDO (9yo) and ZAAKI (8yo) resume ahead of yet another spring carnival this Saturday @royalrandwick
$13 million between them and I think they will both win again! #marvels pic.twitter.com/JtzPSy3jaF
— Mike Wood (@TRGMikeWood) August 31, 2022
About Punt Drunk
Welcome to Punt Drunk – our daily column covering all the latest horse racing and punting controversies, dramas and headline news. Have a story or gripe or issue that just grinds your gears? Just hit us up in the comments or contact us page and our jaded, punt hardened Punt Drunk staff will give it the Punt Drunk treatment it deserves. Don’t expect pleasantries or typical racing media fanboy gloss from Punt Drunk – we’re on the punt and we don’t have time to bullshit; the next is about to jump…
