The Follow Files: European import impresses on Aussie debut
This Saturday we had racing all over Australia, with a lot of the focus on The Ingham Day at Randwick and Gold Rush Day at Ascot, while Eagle Farm and Sandown had quality programs. The Follow Files for this week will be zeroing in on a runner from each of the December 10 meetings in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Sandown Hillside – Ladbrokes Park Race Day
Track rating: Good 4 (Good 3 after R4)
Rail position: True entire circuit
Race 8: Benchmark 84 Handicap (1400m) | Time: 1:24.07
- Horse to follow: Kettle Hill (4th)
The penultimate event on Saturday featured a very competitive Benchmark 84 Handicap where only three of the runners were under $10 with online bookmakers. One of those runners that jumped under $10 was the fourth placegetter, Kettle Hill from the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace yard, who was on his Australian debut after coming over from Europe. This lightly raced six-year-old gelding was very unlucky on Saturday, falling back to last and copping a bump before going back to the inside rail. Once this son of Gleneagles found some racing room and let down over the final 200m, he flew up the inside and took plenty of ground of the leaders, showing a blistering turn of foot.
When to bet: Kettle Hill is a horse to follow, considering his form over in Europe and his career record of six placings from nine starts, while he performed well on his Aussie debut, which is rare for an ex-European horse. Wherever this horse goes next, we suggest following him if he draws a wide barrier and rises to 1600m.
Eagle Farm – Gateway Raceday
Track rating: Good 4
Rail position: +1m entire circuit
Race 6: Listed Just Now Quality Handicap (1300m) | Time: 1:15.55
- Horse to follow: Better Get Set (1st)
At Eagle Farm, the Listed Just Now Quality Handicap over 1300m was one of the feature events on the card, where the winner of the race, Better Get Set from the Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted yard, recorded her best win of her career and first black-type victory. This five-year-old mare has now won three on the bounce and has proven the old saying, “follow mares in form”, to be true. At her last two starts she has savaged the line and showed a new will to win, which will excite her owners and trainers as she could be finally producing the quality that she always promised earlier in her career. She has also shown versatility in her racing style, as she can sit on-pace or midfield and still show that push-button turn of foot in the final 300m of her races.
When to bet: Now that she has won three in a row, Better Get Set’s rating will continue to rise, which could help her gain entry into some nice races over the Queensland Winter Carnival. She has been racing since September 17 and had five starts, so if she goes out for a spell now, she will most likely return for the Brisbane races in May.
Ascot – Gold Rush Day
Track rating: Good 4
Rail position: +1m entire circuit
Race 10: RTG 78+ Handicap (1400m) | Time: 1:23.98
- Horse to follow: The Velvet Queen (4th)
Anyone who backed the second favourite in the last race at Ascot would have been stoked with the positioning of The Velvet Queen when she settled fourth in the box seat behind the leaders, as she is a mare that gets too far back in her races and gives herself too much to do. However, this girl never got off the fence and never saw clear air as she was kept on the rail by the eventual winner and a slow horse outside of her. This daughter of Universal Ruler went for a run at the 200m before Chris Parnham had to pull her back to stop her running into the back of the leading horse. She didn’t do much work at all, and it will just go down as a prep run, even though she did finish fourth by 1.2 lengths.
When to bet: This mare is a bet next start, for sure. Her first-up win this preparation was huge and she showed her customary booming finish. Her last run she had no luck at all, so put a line through that completely. If she draws a middle to wide barrier over 1400m or 1600m on a big track like Ascot, she will be winning third-up.