Bog Makes Gypsy Mai The Hotpot

Illawarra Mercury

Wednesday August 29, 2001

with DAVE MURRAY

The probability of a heavy track at Wyong today and the inside barrier could result in Randwick mare Gypsy Mai starting a hot favourite to win the $30,000 Vinery Australia Mona Lisa Plate (1350m).

A 10-length maiden winner at Kembla on a bog track earlier this year, Gyspy Mai, rated a $4.50 hope yesterday, grows another leg with the cut out of the ground and looks well suited as a natural leader on the tight Wyong circuit.

Graeme Rogerson's Kashkow could provide good quinella value from barrier two with Glen Boss in the saddle.

Best of all she was quoted at $11 in early markets and only has to reproduce her Coffs Harbour run to figure in the finish.

Kashkow ran the smart Caissa to a nose and should have won but for travelling wide and copping a bump on the home turn.

Topweight Altiero is the class horse of the field, but has 60kg to carry from an outside alley at her first run back from Queensland.

Interesting to see another topweight Manner Hill ($4.50) having his first start for premier Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse in race seven.

The five-year-old was formerly trained by John Size and was being freely mooted earlier this year as a lightweight Doncaster hope.

If anyone can extract Group One form out of a galloper it's Waterhouse, so expect him to run a race despite the 60kg and barrier 11 against a bunch of Class 3 opponents.

The Bede Murray stable is launching a two-day assault on the Wyong carnival with Zaccio Dan, Celtic Crossing, Bayroof and Bonza King kicking off the attack today.

Murray has always had an opinion of Bayroof and the horse didn't let the number one trainer down with a fine sixth in the Illawarra Classic before spelling.

I can't believe $5.50 is being offered on the strength of the colt's recent trackwork which includes a decision over stable star Universal Prince.

The three-year-old looks over the odds, as does Nan Jiang Girl ($21).

Had to laugh when I saw the $7 quote about Darren Smith's Kangoo in race five. An impressive barrier trial winner at Newcastle recently, Kangoo will start much shorter than that from an ideal gate (four) with Corey Brown in the saddle.

Another new Waterhouse acquisition, Jet Shoes, makes her debut for the stable in the last race with Larry Cassidy booked to ride.

Although she has three duck eggs against her name in the form guide, she's another that should improve and be followed if there's a move in the markets.

The $150,000 Wyong Cup is tomorrow's feature race and I'm tipping another Waterhouse steed, Agincourt Express, to take the chocolates from the lightweight roughie Shoemaker.

***

Injured trainer Diane Laine is reportedly missing her garden more than she is her horses while laid up in Wollongong hospital with a broken pelvis.

Friends say the livewire Laine doesn't care too much for the recuperation caper, but has been a hit with hospital staff.

Last Sunday she freely tipped her two gallopers, Imposing Dom and Terrible Taurus, to run big races at Warwick Farm with Imposing Dom finishing an unlucky second before her stablemate saluted in the last.

Everyone at Kembla wishes Di a speedy recovery, but everyone's also wondering how well husband Carl is coping with the home duties.

***

A full-brother to the former Jack Denham-trained London Eye is one of many interesting lots listed for the 2001 Inglis 2YO Breeze Up Sale at Newmarket on September 28.

London Eye was recently sold to race in Hong Kong and his little brother could be headed the same way after a ton of pre-sale interest from overseas buyers.

A Thunder Gulch colt from Poetique, and a Timber Country gelding out of the 1994 Reisling Slipper Trial winner Moment's Pleasure are other interesting lots.

Stakes winning mare Sunny Lane, in foal to Sunline's sire Desert Sun, topped last week's Inglis Thoroughbred Sale in Melbourne.

The Never Quit mare, a winner of 12 races and over $570,000 in prizemoney, was bought by Magic Millions Bloostock for $150,000.

Handy staying type Crasher McCauley was another to go under the hammer, selling to Farrington Pinkerton Bloodstock for $35,000.

***

Spotting Specials cleaned up last Saturday with seven winners and three seconds from the 10 highlighted horses in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

© 2001 Illawarra Mercury

Back to News Index | Back to Home