Tarzino the punter’s favourite ahead of 2015 Victoria Derby
THE barrier draw for the 2015 Victoria Derby was completed at Crown Casino earlier this week and the current favourite Tarzino has drawn moderately in barrier 10.
Perth runner Kia Ora Koutou has drawn the inside barrier which will suit the unbeaten son of Blackfriars. In four starts to date it hasn’t been tested and punters think it will be tough to beat once again.
The consistent Lizard Island has drawn well in barrier three with last start Geelong Classic winner Extra Choice drawing unfavourably in barrier 17.
2015 Victoria Derby draw:
1. Lizard Island (3) – $12
2. Shards (11) – $13
3. Kia Ora Koutou (1) – $8
4. Ayers Rock (12) – $34
5. Man Of Choice (16) – $21
6. Extra Choice (17) – $12
7. Tarzino (10) – $2.30
8. Get The Picture (5) – $11
9. Etymology (9) – $17
10. Jadeer (4) – $26
11. Palace Tycoon (7) – $51
12. Scadden’s Run (8) – $81
13. Pay Up Bro (15) – $13
14. Colonel Custer (14) – $26
15. Red Alto (2) – $101
16. Iron Boss (6) – $51
17. Bullish Stock (13) – $101
Shawn Matherick-trained Ayers Rock ($34) has drawn wide in barrier 12, but the Cranbourne-based horseman isn’t letting that get him down.
“With a bit of luck something else will take it up [the lead] and we can just sit off them,” Matherick said.
“I’ve got big wraps on him. He had no luck at Caulfield last start.
“He bounced off the running rail and spat the bit out. He’s come through that super and he’s trained on. He’ll be a hard horse to beat.”
Winning a Group 1 Victoria Derby would be a dream for a small-time trainer, but Matherick is more concerned about the attitudes of his horses.
“It would be fantastic,” he said. “When you’ve got racehorses, we want to win it but you want to see the horse win it too.
“You have a real admiration for the horse. Your horse is good and you want to see them do good.”
Luke Price also suffered a harsh blow when his runner Man Of Choice drew barrier 16. The $21 chance will now likely head back from the wide draw.
“I’m confident he’ll run the trip out,” Price said.
“Looking at that barrier we’ll have to go back and get on the back of the right horse to take us into the race.
“He’s drawn good barriers his last two runs and we haven’t been able to do that. He’s been held-up, held-up, and we haven’t been able to get out until late.
“He’s a big horse and if we can get our revs up then hopefully he’s hitting the line as good as anything.”
Price pays credit to the Sydney form-line which has seen Man Of Choice run in behind the likes of Vanbrugh in the Gloaming Stakes and Spring Champion Stakes.
“Vanbrugh was second favourite,” Price said. “We’ve been a bit stiff behind it.
“We should have finished a bit closer to it. He’s a genuine chance that’s for sure.”
Price to be more positive with Tarzino
The Mick Price-trained Tarzino has drawn barrier 10 for the Victoria Derby on Saturday and Price has instructed stewards that it will be ridden more positively this time around.
The three-year-old likes to settle back before producing a solid finish, but because it has drawn favourably in barrier 10, Price is forced to use the gate to his advantage.
“I’ll be seeing the stewards and telling them the instructions will be that Craig [Newitt] will endeavour to ride him a little bit more forward because of the favourable barrier and the short run to the first corner,” Price said.
“It’s a perfect draw because Shards and Ayers Rock are drawn outside and they’ll work across to race on the pace.
“He was a little bit dictated to at Moonee Valley because of the bad gate and had to go back.”
Price stated that if Tarzino was to race closer to the pace, it would have more energy at the back-end of the race to produce a sprint.
He’ll have the right run and be able to use his big Maserati motor to finish off strongly,” Price said.
“I’m very happy with the horse so we’re looking forward to it. The horse is well and he’s the right sort of horse to win a Derby and I think he’ll run very well.”
Bendigo Cup winner moving on to Melbourne Cup
The Gai Waterhouse-trained The Offer has confirmed itself as a 2015 Melbourne Cup starter by winning the $300,000 Bendigo Cup on Wednesday.
The former Sydney Cup winner had been in consistent form all preparation, but many believed it was simply a wet-tracker. It won comfortably on the dry track and Waterhouse will now send it to Flemington next Tuesday.
New Zealand jockey Michael Walker took over the riding duties and Waterhouse paid credit to the in-form Kiwi.
“A little bit of that Kiwi magic doesn’t go far amiss, I can tell you,” Waterhouse said.
Whether or not The Offer can compete with some of the world’s best stayers is one question, but Waterhouse has noted that some punters have climbed aboard.
“The Melbourne Cup, can he do it? Ask the viewers, his price has dropped already,” Waterhouse said.
Waterhouse only brought the horse to race at Bendigo because she was asked by the club’s chairman whether she was bringing a runner this year.
“I’ve got to put all this to the chairman of the Bendigo club, Brendan Drechsler, because I was sitting at another club last week and he said, ‘have you got a horse for the Bendigo Cup’?” she explained. “I scratched my head, and I said ‘yes, I think I might, I might have The Offer’.”
Kerrin McEvoy is looking like the likely jockey come next Tuesday, but Michael Walker was only full of praise for the group 1 winner.
“Everything is winning on pace today, and Gai said ‘I don’t want you back’,” Walker said. “She wanted me to box-seat and I was lucky enough to get that position.
“Knowing the Waterhouse horses, anything that comes to them and eyeballs them, they give more,” he said. “It might have looked like something was going to get me up the straight, but I can guarantee if something got to me he would have kicked again. He’s got a lot of heart.”
The Offer is currently a $51 chance at Sportsbet.com.au.
Withdrawal of Beaten Up makes room for Sertorius
Chris Waller withdrew Beaten Up this week, which has allowed the Jamie Edwards-trained Sertorius into the current 24.
Edwards was delighted to hear the news, but he’s not guaranteed a start as there are nine contenders to earn a spot from the Lexus Stakes field on Saturday. All nine are sitting further back than 28th in the rankings and if any of the nine win, Sertorius will lose its spot in the Melbourne Cup field.
Edwards was hoping some scratchings would earn his runner a spot in the field, but he believes Sertorius is ready for the two miles.
“He’s been trained for two miles and you just have to watch his runs this time in to know he’s looking for that trip. He’s looking like a real two-miler,” Edwards said.
Edwards said its closing sectionals at its last three runs have been good and the in-form Craig Newitt has been booked to ride in the Cup.
Punters aren’t confident that Sertorius will take home Australia’s greatest race. It’s currently paying $251 to win with most bookmakers.
Punters still coming for Japanese raider
Punters have been backing Japanese raider Fame Game ever since it was nominated and bookmakers stand to lose a bundle if it wins next Tuesday.
The money has continued to come for the six-year-old which ran sixth in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup last time out.
Bookmaker representatives are stating that Fame Game has firmed in from $5.60 to $4.40, but with the avalanche of money over the past few days has seen its price tumble to astronomical levels.
Fame Game is now paying $3.80 at most bookmakers ($4 with Sportsbet.com.au) and its price is expected to continue to tumble.
“He is now the shortest price favourite to win the Cup since So You Think ($3) in 2010,” bookmaker representative Nick Quinn said . “It appears punters are happy to take any odds available on Fame Game. Surely now he is at a rock bottom quote but it’s no surprise after his run in the Caulfield Cup to understand why he has easily been the best backed runner.”
CrownBet’s Matt Tripp said they are expecting to lay Fame Game despite the support it is getting at other bookmakers.
“We are looking down the barrel at a $3 million payout at this stage and I expect he will continue to be backed at the expense of any rival. We currently hold twice as much on him as the next best backed,” Tripp said.
“I thought the $5 and $4.60 after his Caulfield Cup effort was generous and the punters have come for him to the exclusion of all others. They seem to think he is past the post.”
Sportsbet reported that Fame Game has attracted nine times the support of Preferment which is currently paying $11.
They firmed Fame Game into $4 after having it at $4.80 last week.
“We are a week out from the Cup and it appears the bulk of punters have made up their mind. The money just keeps rolling in for Fame Game,” Byrne said.