Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

The Jet Plane to hit Mach 3

David Thiselton
JJ The Jet Plane will be the star attraction at Clairwood on Sunday, a meeting that features the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over 1 200m. The five-year-old Jet Master gelding returned from his successful overseas campaign earlier this season and pulverised the field in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint in his comeback run. Trainer Lucky Houdalakis felt that he was not fully fit at the time, so the fact that he recently missed 10 days work due to a sore foot and is not 100% again should not be too much of a concern, especially considering this is a Weight-For-Age event. Casey Cool won the Grade 2 Post Merchants in good style over 1 200m at Greyville in his last start. He will be suited by a big field down the straight as he is a horse who needs to be held up for as long as possible. Kevin Shea suits his style and watch for a devastating late finishing burst. The high number draws are usually favourable at Clairwood so his eight draw is a bit of a worry. Captain’s Gal has a nice high number draw of 17. Her last two starts down the straight have seen her cruising throughout before delivering powerful finishes to win both the Grade 2 Camellia Stakes over 1160m and the SA Fillies Sprint over 1 200m. They were both against her own sex but the latter field was a very strong one. Her last start in the Tibouchina can be ignored as she did too much early from a wide draw. Intellectual loves Clairwood and although his best form has come over shorter he actually lacks early pace and produces a very strong finish, so the 1 200m should really suit him better. His last race here was a fine effort and he reversed form with Noble Heir, to whom he finished runner up in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint over 1 000m. He is drawn low in five but could get accross as he’s likely to be near the back early. Blue Tiger is a very good horse from sprints up to 1 800m when allowed to stride out and a Grade 1 sprint should allow him to do just that. The two concerns are that, despite having placed in Grade 1 races before, he is drawn on the probable wrong side and didn’t fare well in this race last year after a similar route into it.
Clearly Silver has filled out into a strongly built, typical sprinter type and could surprise as he is improving all the time. He doesn’t have an easy task at the weights, but was running on well from a wide draw in the Post Merchants and has a fair draw of 11. Bush Pirate is an interesting contender for, despite being one of the lowest rated horses, he came from way back in the Post Merchants to finish second in a slow run race. Private Jet won the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint last year, but bled badly in the same race. He showed he still retains some of his ability in his last start, but that was a much easier task and he has also never raced beyond 1 100m. His stable companion Earl Of Surrey would be J J’s main danger if at his peak, as he won the Golden Horse Casino Sprint with top weight last year. However, he sustained a pelvic injury back then and this will be his first race for over a year. He has been in work for some time though and finished together with Private Jet in a recent gallop.
Rushing Wind ran a two length second to J J in the Golden Horse Casino Sprint but is now 5,5kg worse off. He is not as suited to the easier Clairwood track as Scottsville, but can’t be discounted especially after his eye-catching last win over 1 200m at Scottsville. Mythical Flight is a former champion sprinter. He has lost some of his tremendous early pace but is still good enough to place here, especially as some recent hassles are close to being sorted out. Extinct finished third in this race last year and if the ground is rain softened he could put his recent below par form behind him and possibly earn again.
Gaultier is talented, but despite working very well at home he hasn’t been putting it in at the racetrack recently. The selection is J J The Jet Plane to win from Casey Cool, Captain’s Gal, Intellectual and Blue Tiger.

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