Punt Drunk: Still no joy for Port Louis
It’s almost the weekend, which means the Punt Drunk team have been hard at work bringing you the big racing headlines from the week that was. Wednesday was a tough day for the Maher & Eustace stable, and even more so for their loyal punters, while Annabel Neasham’s fans had a good old fashioned fill-up at Wyong. Speaking of fill-ups, we managed to jag the quaddie at Launceston on Wednesday night too.
MILK DRINKER
While most racehorses are fed hay and linseed, we are adamant that Ciaron Maher & David Eustace’s Port Louis is on a Whiskas and milk diet. The three-year-old colt has now had 10 starts for six minor placings and is yet to get his maiden tag out of the way, despite starting at $1.22 at Sandown on Wednesday. The son of Maurice was backed from $30s into $5s at his third career start in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes and ran an eye-catching fifth, just two lengths off Captivant, but he has been unable to go on with it. Despite racing three wide on Wednesday, it was only a moderate tempo, so he should have had enough gas in the tank to run down the leader, Oughton. He ultimately finished third, just six-tenths of a length off the winner, with the first trio past the post putting 6.5 lengths on the fourth horse. Port Louis is the sort of horse that would do your head in to own; zero wins sounds shocking, but the $200,000 in prizemoney he has earnt sounds good in anyone’s bank account.
Did anyone LAY Port Louis? 👀
(📹 via @Racing) pic.twitter.com/GrPAv1xSxJ
— Betfair Australia (@Betfair_Aus) December 15, 2021
NEASHAM DOMINATES WYONG
Wyong held its annual Magic Millions meeting on Wednesday, which featured both the Magic Millions Wyong 3YO & 4YO Stakes and the Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic. Despite not winning since the autumn of 2020 on the Gold Coast, ex-Queenslander Wisdom Of Water was back in the winner’s stall in the 3YO & 4YO Stakes, proving to connections of Port Louis that it’s not impossible. The Annabel Neasham-trained entire won three of his first five starts before a dry spell of 13 races, but a cool ride from Rachel King meant that the four-year-old would arrive just in time to defeat roughie Compassionate, while Snitzonfire and Tanker dead-heated for third just half a length away. In the 2YO Classic just one hour later, it was Neasham again. Soaring Ambition, a filly by Not A Single Doubt, stepped out for her race, and boy, was she impressive. After settling with only a few behind her, Tommy Berry brought the filly to the outside, where she was forced very wide at the top of the straight before letting down quickly to get up and win. She’s now a $7.50 second favourite in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast.
What a day! WISDOM OF WATER takes out the 3YO & 4YO MM Stakes with an epic ride from @rachelk31 and SOARING AMBITION brings home the 2YO MM Classic with @tommyberry1991. Onwards to the GC from here!! Congratulations to @aquisfarm @zhonglithoroughbreds @arrowfieldstud @eurekastud pic.twitter.com/54lxq9UbBo
— Annabel Neasham Racing (@ANeashamRacing) December 15, 2021
A QUADDIE IS A QUADDIE
If you’ve ever jagged a quaddie – unlikely, we know – then you’ll know the feeling of what it’s like to go into the elusive last leg with three green ticks on the betslip. That was the case for what we would only imagine to be thousands of punters at Launceston on Wednesday night. Kicking things off in the first leg was unbeaten galloper Turk Warrior ($1.60), and then heavy backing for Group 3 winner The Inevitable saw him start odds on ($1.80), before Summer Fire ($1.40) and The Risk Factor ($1.30) ended the evening. See, punters, it’s an easy game! Going into the last leg with The Risk Factor at ‘Winx odds’ should have been the easiest watch of the night in a field of five over 2100m, but holy moly, did he make us work! Having settled second in the run behind Overplay, he was scrubbed up a long way from home to stay in touch with the leader, before wanting to lay in up the home straight and then stop once he looked like getting past him with 100m left. He got there – just. Those that took the quaddie legs one-out were rewarded with a juicy dividend of – drumroll, please – $8.30. The kids eat.
The Sandown Quaddie paid over $55,000… The Launceston Quaddie paid $8.30! The great game 🤷🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/PB6UYIfIH0
— TAB (@tabcomau) December 15, 2021
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…
