Candy Rain sure looks sweet
Tuesday also impresses at the trials
Right now, there's quite a buzz and a lively debate among racegoers as they mull over the entries for the Open Maiden sprint over 1,200m on Saturday.
Trainer Mark Walker's got King Arthur. Trainer Daniel Meagher saddles Lim's Hopefully. There's Holy Eleanor from Stephen Gray's yard and reigning champion Michael Clements will send out an exciting newcomer in Konan.
If that quartet isn't enough to give punters a headache, they will when you toss Candy Rain into the mix.
From James Peters' yard, the mare will be having her third start over the weekend. As one of four females in the race, she gets some weight relief in this weight-for-age contest.
Will that be enough to see her take on and beat the boys?
Well, when you consider her fine showing at the trials on Tuesday morning, I will have to say "yes". Although up against just three rivals, Candy Rain still put in a show which suggested good things.
Always well up with the pace set by Our Final Offer and Clergyman, the mare in the line-up only came into the reckoning a furlong out.
Urged on by jockey Oscar Chavez, Candy Rain ploughed on and eventually beat Sweet Tapit by half a length. Clergyman stayed on for third.
An Australian-bred by Manhattan Rain, the four-year-old made the board on debut, running fourth to the talented Qaidoom.
After that run, Peters sent his charge to the trials . The chestnut won that with relative ease, leading from the off and never giving back that lead.
As mentioned, it's a good field assembled for the "Maiden" but Candy Rain should be comfortable in that company.
Also impressive at the trials was Tuesday.
Jumping from Gate 3, the four-year-old was neatly into stride.
At the first turn on the far side, he had opened up a nice lead. Turning for home and it was clear that the rest of the pack were chasing his shadow.
With 100m to go, he was eased down but still managed to prevail by a length.
Singapore Derby winner Hard Too Think took second, with the 84-point rater Muraahib finishing third.
Although not extended, Tuesday still clocked a really good time of 59.84sec for the Polytrack 1,000m.
Trained by Michael Clements for Falcon Racing No. 7 Stable, Tuesday is a galloper who can win on any day of the week.
He has, in a short career, already won three races, which has put in excess of $120,000 into the kitty.
He served notice of what was to come when he won on debut. Incidentally, that win came on the back of a winning trial.
Could the same thing happen? Could we see Tuesday win his next outing? I wouldn't bet against it happening.
Tuesday is being groomed for bigger things. Clements has been patient with his four-year-old.
In the first nine months of the season, Tuesday has raced just six times. From those outings, he has picked up two victories, a second and a fourth.
The next time he races - be it on Saturday or Sunday or whatever - just watch out for Tuesday.
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