By Michael Guerin
It is the toughest game in town but at least a couple of their rivals should think they can win “Beat The All Stars” at Alexandra Park tonight.
Smolda’s Inter Dominion win last Friday highlighted just how tough beating New Zealand’s premier stable has become in feature races, as they currently hold 33 group one trophies Australasian wide.
So it is no surprise the Purdon-Rasmussen army of stars will dominate betting in four of the six main races at tonight’s huge meeting, with winning hopes in the other two.
But while punters will be loathe to bet against them in most races, there are a couple of genuine contenders to stop a bluewash of tonight’s meeting.
They don’t come in the $100,000 Queen Of Hearts, where Dream About Me is $1.08 to win even after drawing the outside of the front line.
As improved as Rocker Band and Arden’s Choice are, Dream About Me is favourite for the Auckland Cup so should be able to sit parked and win.
The same could be said for Ultimate Machete in the Alabar Classic, where he not only has barrier two but has simply looked too strong for all of his rivals tonight, with Jack’s Legend drawn to chase him hard along with More The Better.
Tonight’s Franklin Cup brings together most of the other Auckland Cup contenders but Titan Banner looks to have gone to another level judging by his crushing, come from last win in the Summer Cup last Friday.
As a relatively inexperienced open class pacer he is not well handicapped off 20m so is no good thing but the All Stars have group one-winning back up in Chase The Dream, who was enormously unlucky at Methven last start.
With it being a standing start and the likes of Tiger Tara, Locharburn, Christen Me and even No Doctor Needed having shown enough this season to suggest they can win at their peak, it is one race where the All Stars could be vulnerable. Maybe.
The first serious two-year-old race of the season is a red flag race for All Stars followers because while they usually win the Young Guns Final their reps have been beaten in early season heats in recent years so tread carefully with Spankem and Arden’s Winstar in race four.
There has been plenty to like about the Robert Dunn-trained pair of The Brooklyn Brawler (races) and Alta Maestro (workouts), while Ocean Ridge and The Bus add real depth to a tricky race for punters.
But it is two other southern teams who look the best chance of successfully playing Beat The All Stars tonight.
Marcoola has emerged as the best trotter racing in the country after Monbet was sidelined, pushing the champ hard in the NZ Free-For-All at Addington and slaying his rivals at Methven last start.
He doesn’t face an easy task from the second line in the Lyell Creek tonight but appears to have a speed edge over most of his rivals, with Quite A Moment, impressive trialist Bordeaux and the recent All Stars transferee Arya his greatest dangers.
If the best version of Marcoola isn’t unlucky he should still win for trainer-driver Clint Ford but the TAB’s $1.35 opening quote was unpalatable.
The $75,000 Peter Breckon Memorial looks a two-horse race between arch rivals Spanish Armada and Delightful Memphis, with the latter getting the ace draw, one driver Blair Orange intends using.
“There is no point us handing up to Spanish Armada because then there would be no pressure and she would win,” says Orange.
“So we will be staying in front and if she can sit parked outside us and beat us then that will be how it is.
“But my filly has plenty if speed so I think we can win.”
As good as Spanish Armada is, Delightful Memphis has shown in the past she can beat her when she gets a better run so might be worth backing if she gets to $2.2-$2.40 tonight.
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