Punt Drunk: Racing NSW pumps up Saturday metro meetings
Punt Drunk Daily – 25/2/21
Welcome to another daily edition of #PuntDrunk. It’s been a bit of a jam-packed 24 hours with a three-way go in the Launceston Cup, Racing NSW injecting plenty of funds into the state’s weekend program, and a potential up-and-coming star bolting in on debut. All that, and our best bets for Thursday racing around this great country of ours.
Photo please, judge
Tremendous battle in the 2400m Group 3 @Ladbrokes Launceston Cup with Glass Warrior emerging the winner in blanket finish. Bred & part-owned by @MotreeTasmania, Glass Warrior is by Glass Harmonium & has now won 4 & placed on 10 occasions, also capturing the '19 Launceston Guineas pic.twitter.com/DSo66LXsq2
— Aushorse (@Aushorse_TBA) February 24, 2021
Did anyone have a slice of the Launceston Cup trifecta yesterday? That paid a handy $37,400 thanks to the John Blacker-trained Glass Warrior saluting at $21 with two ranks outsiders, Sh’bourne Renegade and White Hawk, taking the minor places. It looked to have been close to a three-way dead heat in the feature event on the Launceston card, but the judge managed to find a winner in what must have been a very tight photo. A bee’s appendage separated the first three with the favourite, Barade, a length off the trifecta. In what has been a tricky period for racing in Tasmania, it was bloody good to see the Apple Isle’s big day go off without a hitch.
Sorry, how many races on a Saturday?
Read more here – https://t.co/2G0MnqXWqz pic.twitter.com/2sw0sNDukz
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) February 24, 2021
OK, we love a punt just as much as anyone, and with the new cash boost implemented by Racing NSW yesterday we are set for 10 – yes, 10 – races on a Saturday afternoon in Sydney. Effective from July 1st this year, each and every weekend metropolitan meeting in the NSW capital will host 10 races, mainly thanks to the new ‘Midway’ event set to be added. The Midway is aimed at those runners going around on the provincial circuit or the small city stables, much like how the Highway has been run. Speaking of the Highway, that has received a $25k cash boost and is now worth a smooth $100,000 each week. As if we didn’t already have enough racing on a Saturday!
A star is born at Sandown
‘This is oh so impressive, we may have unearthed a real nice one’
Starry Legend, a 2yo son of ZOUSTAR wins impressively on debut at Sandown
He was a $500,000 yearling & is from the family of European Champion 3YO and Gr.1 Epsom Oaks winner Intrepidity
— Tweenhills (@Tweenhills) February 24, 2021
No, this isn’t Lady Gaga or Bradley Cooper catching your attention, it is the John Sadler-trained Starry Legend. The son of Zoustar absolutely bolted in on debut yesterday afternoon, and jockey Michael Dee barely had to lift a finger in doing so. Starry Legend was challenged at the 300m by some of his market rivals, yet under hands and heels he coasted clear to win by close to four lengths. Boy, didn’t Matt Hill love it too!
Thursday’s Racing Tips – February 25, 2021
Punt Drunk’s best bet of the day
Hayden Ballantyne was a pest on the footy field, but we are hoping his three-year-old gelding Special View can break through for his first win at start four. He has had three starts and has yet to finish worse than third, and he looks hard to go past on the back of an impressive trial victory at Belmont on February 15.
Race 2 – Special View (#1)About Punt Drunk
Welcome to Punt Drunk! Our new 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…