Esperance Preview - Saturday December 26th (CRX)

The six race card commences at 2:07pm and is a TAB meeting. The smallest field size is eight and the TAB betting code will be CRX. The Esperance meeting will be covered on Racing Radio along with the Ascot and Albany meetings. Good fields are the order of the day with prizemoney topping the meeting at Albany. Last season’s leading hoop Willie Arnold has a great book of rides and should taste plenty of success.

Albany Preview at http://greatsouthernracing.blogspot.com/2009/12/albany-preview-december-26th-cr.html

The opening race is the Pink Lake Butchers Handicap over 1100m. Donargy has won at the first two meetings and looks set to notch up a hat-trick despite rising to 58.5kg. Bangadang Jack impressed a few months ago when victorious at Carnarvon and he should strip a lot fitter. Dancing Granada hasn’t been far away against a higher grade of opposition and Keys To Windsor performed well at Esperance last season. Innocent Bystander is a speedy type who won at the Esperance circuit last season and Kiryn Waldeck has been granted the mount. The alotted 54kg should give the pair a great chance of stealing the race at each way odds.


The Rob Dutton Spreading Handicap (1400m) on paper looks to be between the Brendan Corver trained mares Just Sue and Lady Berthe. Both possess strong finishing bursts and with luck in running should be in the finish. Twice The Speed has finished just behind the placegetters at her last couple and Miss Alonso wasn’t far away last start either. Brave Critic is the other that should be considered, he broke his maiden status at the last meeting and looks to have matured sharply since last season.


Seventeen horses accepted for the Bay Automotive Group Maiden but there will be at least three scratchings with fourteen the maximum amount of starters allowed to race over 1200m. The Key Cutter is a great ride for Lisa Bivemark and Outside Influence is another with solid current form to her name. There are a host of other chances and Quaddie investors may want to play it ‘wide’ given the size of the field and the question marks hovering over a lot of the newcomers.


The Dr. Graham Jacobs MLA Handicap sees the clash of speedy front-runners Tashi Delek and Racoff. Mr Magnificent was placed at Esperance twice before running third at Narrogin last Saturday and he should receive a lovely run behind the ‘dragsters’ from barrier two. Kimberleys, Damon’s Halo and San Supremo all loom as winning dangers.


The Esperance Freight Lines Sprint is wide open. Last meeting’s Open Sprint winner King Of The Stalls looks hard to hold out and newcomers Aelstreet and Burnzy have enjoyed plenty of success early in their careers. He’s Smokin’ will be a lot fitter along with Expedition and the fleet-footed Jay Dee Rocks. Danish Currency (54.5kg) also gets in well at the weights.


The meeting concludes at 5:25pm with the running of the Bay Automotive Group Handicap. The Menace has drawn ideally (1) and looks to have plenty to offer. Stormy Quest and Time Star both caught the eye last start and Marvon Sher put in a solid run too. Ron’s Gem is also a recent winner but she has drawn the outside gate and will require luck.


- Ryan Levitzke Selects

1- 2 Donargy 7 Innocent Bystander 1 Dancing Granda
2- 7 Lady Berthe  3 Just Sue 4 Brave Critic
3- 1 The Key Cutter 7 Outsude Influence 9 Designer Diva
4- 5 Kimberleys 2 Mr Magnificent 8 Damon's Halo
5- 8 Danish Currency 3 Expedition 2 King Of The Stalls
6- 1 The Menace 3 Time Star 2 Stormy Quest