Marsh pair work well at dawn
Blitz Power and Our Showcase light up morning trackwork
Don't leave Blitz Power out of your calculations when you're planning your betting strategy for Race 8 on Sunday.
The five-year-old is nearing her best form and a win wouldn't send shockwaves through the community.
Blitz Power showed up at trackwork yesterday morning and, with Alysha Collett on the reins, she ran the 600m in a smart 37.5sec.
Apprentice Nor Azman Zyrul will take the mount on Sunday.
Our Showcase, who is entered for the Class 4 Division 2 sprint over the 1,200m, was her galloping partner and he too looked in good shape.
However, if I had to pick one from the two Bruce Marsh-trained runners, I would have to side with Blitz Power.
A mare by Iffraaj, she was beaten a length by the very-talented Lim's Craft in her last start which was over the 1,400m.
Hers was the hard-luck story of the race.
Drawn nine in that field of 12 runners, Blitz Power was obliged race wide for all of the trip.
Indeed, she was in the rear pack until the final 200m when she began to motor home. By then, it was too late.
Benny Woodworth had pinched the lead on Lim's Craft and was sailing home.
Another cheque for finishing second was in the mail after failing to catch Wecando in mid-June.
It was almost a year ago that Blitz Power put together a winning double. One of those wins was on the Poly and over the sprint trip of 1,200m.
After those two second-placed finishes in her last three outings, Blitz Power deserves a break and, although she again has drawn an outside gate - No. 9 - in Race 8 on Sunday, I reckon she's worth a punt.
As for Our Showcase, his only win was a good win.
That was in May when, in a weight-for-age sprint over the 1,400m, he beat Mr Fat Kiddy and Co. by a decent half length.
By Showcasing, the New Zealand-bred should be better than that. Three times in 15 starts, he has had to play bridesmaid and that must have been very frustrating.
Like when he was beaten by Military Chairman in mid-March.
That day, apprentice Zyrul rode Our Showcase from the front and, for a long while, it looked a winning tactic - until Ben Thompson came with a pulverising run close home to steal the win.
Those same front-running tactics didn't work in his last two runs. But he did win two recent trials by coming off deep midfield positions to romp home. Perhaps it's time for a re-think.
Still, fitness-wise, Our Showcase ticks all the boxes. Marsh has got him looking the part and a decent showing in Race 3 on Sunday wouldn't surprise.
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