The Follow Files: Converge, Zethus impress with first-up placings
Last Saturday we got a real sniff of what is to come as a number of quality horses began their autumn campaigns. There was plenty of class at Randwick in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes, while we just may have seen the next Australasian Oaks winner at Caulfield. There are always future winners just around the corner, and the team at The Follow Files have found you four horses to add to your blackbook.
Royal Randwick | Track: Soft 6 | Rail: True
Race 7: 4YO & Up Mares BM78 Handicap (1300m) | Time: 1:16.76
- Horse to follow: LADY BANFF (2nd)
Matt Dunn’s LADY BANFF nearly did enough to cling on in the opening leg of the quaddie at Randwick on Saturday, going down by an official margin of 0.07 lengths to the well-backed Joviality. The four-year-old mare by Top Echelon won her first two starts as a two-year-old, leading all of the way at Doomben, but it has been some time since we have seen her lead in a race. She had to do a bit of work early to cross from the wide gate, but she found the front soon enough and fought on gamely to go down by a narrow margin. She is racing in superb form this campaign, running narrow seconds in her past two starts.
When to bet: At her next start, Lady Banff will be fifth-up, so she will be rock-hard fit and extremely hard to beat in a very similar race. We will be happy to back her next time we see her at the races, hopefully in a fortnight.
Joviality does the punters proud. 🤝@mcacajamez @cwallerracing @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/afFZ1AHovf
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 5, 2022
Race 8: Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) | Time: 1:10.46
- Horse to follow: CONVERGE (3rd)
In the feature race of the day, Paulele was able to lead all of the way and keep his unbeaten record at Randwick intact. There were a number of great runs behind the winner, all from resuming three-year-olds, including Ranch Hand (2nd), Maurice’s Medad (4th) and Kiss Sum (9th), but we want to focus on the horse who finished third, CONVERGE. The son of Frankel was a Group 1 winner over 1600m as a two-year-old but failed to go on with it in the spring, running eighth in his only start. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott camp put him in the paddock and brought him back for this autumn campaign, where he can reach Group 1 heights again. Off a very impressive trial, the gelding landed in the box-seat on Saturday and saved ground on the inside but just peaked on his run late over 1200m. The inside was inferior ground too, so he was entitled to be a bit flat.
When to bet: Converge arguably wants further than 1200m given he is a Group 1 winner over a mile, and that’s what we think he can do again. The Randwick Guineas looks his perfect race – so much so, he sits towards the top of the market at $7. We think that is worth a bet less than a month out.
That's five from five at Randwick!
Paulele keeps his unbeaten record at HQ intact as he defies the chasers Converge and Ranch Hand to lead throughout in the Group 3 Petaluma Eskimo Prince Stakes. @tabcomau @godolphin pic.twitter.com/KZ1m3NnOBM
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) February 5, 2022
Caulfield | Track: Good 4 (Good 3 after R3) | Rail: +9m Entire Course
Race 1: 3YO Fillies BM70 Handicap (1400m) | Time: 1:25.64
- Horse to follow: EL PATRONESS (3rd)
EL PATRONESS kicked off her autumn campaign in a 1400m 3YO Fillies Handicap on Saturday, and although she didn’t get the chocolates, it was a very pleasing return. The filly by Shamus Award has only won once, but that came in Listed grade during the Melbourne Spring Carnival when she led throughout over 1800m. That win put her into contention for the VRC Oaks, but she didn’t line up there after disappointing as favourite in the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m). After settling last on Saturday, apprentice jockey Matthew Cartwright changed his path twice in the straight, which ultimately cost the filly the race. She finished off hard and only went down by half a length on the back of a slow pace, so we are keen to follow her as she gets out over a trip.
When to bet: We would imagine El Patroness goes to a race like the Vanity Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on February 19, where she will be hard to beat. Later on in the autumn, she can be a serious player in a race like the Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville.
Tough performance 💪🏻
A determined Minouche fights back to beat Throntari and El Patroness, who was an impressive closer.@godolphin @CWilliamsJockey pic.twitter.com/QiLHeZHhoG
— Racing.com (@Racing) February 5, 2022
Race 5: Group 3 Manfred Stakes (1200m) | Time: 1:09.86
- Horse to follow: ZETHUS (2nd)
The feature race at Caulfield on Saturday was won by the odds-on favourite, Generation. The hot-pot looked to be in some danger at the 250m mark, however, as ZETHUS loomed large down the centre of the track. The James Cummings-trained colt was first-up for 11.5 months in what was his first run as a three-year-old. In his two-year-old season, Zethus ran second to Remarque on debut and then defeated Home Affairs in the Canonbury Stakes at just his second start. He looked like he would win by a length on Saturday, but Generation found another gear while Zethus peaked on his run. He no doubt needed the gallop, so it will be worth following him this prep.
When to bet: First-up in almost 12 months was a big ask, so anything he did on Saturday he will only improve on. At Caulfield on February 26, the three-year-olds will race in the Zeditave Stakes over 1200m, which looks a terrific race for this colt. We will be backing him there.
Generation put paid to his rivals with ease! pic.twitter.com/0QFzmUigbY
— TABtouch (@TAB_touch) February 5, 2022