Rolling Score: 16 runners: 9 winners, 4 seconds, 1 third.

Crazy Craig’s ‘Lay’ Of The Day: 2 starts, 2 horses that ended up winning.

After getting a boot firmly implanted up my crack by the Gods of the Punt on Super Saturday, we’re back in action as the Rosehill Carnival begins with the Coolmore Classic (Hang on, how many Group 1 Coolmore races are there?) for the fillies and mares, while down south, there may be some serious horsepower going around at Albert Park… But there’s also the All-Star Mile at Flemington!

And the news ‘down there’ is that one of the half-dozen roughies, Foundry, has been scratched after failing a vet check (Le Romain comes in), West Aussie Material Man is fit to go, and my prediction of the Flemington course ambulance beating Urban Ruler home has firmed, with the 10,000-1 shot getting through a vet test after being found lame by the RV Stewards yesterday.

Here’s how I imagine that discovery went down:

“Sir, it appears Urban Ruler is lame.”

“No, he’s always like that.”

Anyways, due to being smashed by that Supercell on Thursday, I will probably have to stay away from Rosehill due to the absolute buggery that goes on there with soft tracks.

Flemington Race 2 (MR2) No.7, Jumbo Ozaki

1400m 3YO Handicap, 1:20pm AEDT

Named after the extremely popular Japanese golfer Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki, who loved belting them a mile off the tee, Phil Stokes’ equine version of Jumbo loves belting his rivals by a mile, winning his maiden (Against a pack of plodders) by 7 lengths, and then backed it up by scoring an easy win at Bendigo last week at very primitive odds.

The expat Irishman Johnny Allen has ridden him in both starts, and he’s got barrier 3 here, which, with the bonus of a clean getaway, should allow him to sit just off the leaders yet again.

If you’re the kind of person who backs horses based on name, then Jumbo’s your boy!

Flemington Race 3 (MR3) No. 2, Talented

1200m 2YO Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes, 1:55pm AEDT

I’ve consistently had my fingers burned backing 2 year olds this season, but do I learn?

Hahahahahaha, hell no.

The Snowdens love their Snitzel progeny right now, with no better example being Redzel, but this young lady could do something… a line which has been uttered about every filly to race for a major trainer.

Talented won on debut at Geelong in January (At 26-1), defeating La Tene, who came out and won a Group 2 at Flemington last weekend, and in her second start a month ago (The Talindert Stakes on the 16th of Feb), she managed to find one better in Godolphin’s colt Microphone, who went up to Sydney and sat the Skyline Stakes field on their backsides to put himself in Golden Slipper contention.

But with the way James Cummings is batting in 2YO class this season, Varda or Flit will probably come out and smash this field.

Ascot Race 3 (PR3), Quinella 1 & 3 (Express Flirt and Rebel Knight)

1600m One Metro Win Handicap 1:57pm AWST (4:57 AEDT)

A wild Quinella appears!

Willy Pike has ridden Express Flirt twice for two wins at Ascot, and last start with Jason ‘The Fish’ Whiting aboard, he was a pretty unlucky 3rd when he got caught on fence, and got clear air when it was too late to just miss Bella’s Idol.

Rebel Knight is stepping up from 3YO grade to open grade, but he has knuckled down superbly in the straight and won his last two starts, and it should be noted he does drop 4kg from his last start win, and steps up from 1400 to 1600m.

Of course I shouldn’t forget to mention that this race also represents a battle between the two in-form jockeys in WA- Our beloved Wizard on Express Flirt, and Mitch Pateman on Rebel Knight, fresh off riding 4 winners last Saturday.

Quinella, exacta , it really doesn’t matter, take them both if you’re a crazy fool like me, because these two are the best horses in the race.

ALL-STAR MILE

Flemington Race 8 (MR8), No. 11 Alizee

Alizee was in my Favourite Backing Guide at the end of February and she duly saluted in the Futurity (Despite travelling 3-wide without cover), and I’ve got no reason to jump off the Blue Army’s flying mare, despite the presence of Mystic Journey and Happy Clapper.

She’s 3/3 this preparation, and if you go back to April last year when she won the Queen of the Turf, that makes it 4 wins in a row.

Hughie Bowman sticks aboard (Assuming there’s medical dramas again!), she’s ready for the mile, and once the minnows drop off in the straight, I’ll be looking forward to hopefully, a huge battle between Alizee, MJ, the Clapper, Le Romain, Hartnell and Grunt, who is probably the best roughie in the race… Even though he’s won 2 Group 1s at Headquarters!

🤪🤪Crazy Craig’s Lay of the Day🤪🤪

The lay of the day, which so far has always ended up winning, so make a note of that.

Rosehill Race 8 (SR8) No.3, Fifty Stars

1500m Group 2 Ajax Stakes, 5:30pm AEDT

Sure, Fifty Stars has won every start he’s had on Soft (3/3) and Heavy tracks (1/1), but my name is Craaaaaaaaaazy Craig, and he’s never gone around the ‘wrong way’ before, and the only reason he won the Group 2 Blamey at Flemington was because So Si Bon got cold feet at the altar and showed he’s allergic to winning.

You know what that means- BACK FIFTY STARS