VICTORIAN RACE TRACKS WON’T BE AS SOFT AS THIS GUIDE

Another well-earned honour for Big Gaz this week- Induction into the Maitland City Hall of Fame!

Hear hear!

Of course, you don’t need me to tell you that it’s the last Saturday in June, and the action around the nation sees some jumps action at Casterton, plus twilight meeting on the boggy Sunny Coast for the Caloundra Cup and the Sunshine Coast Guineas, forever famous for being the birthplace of the legend of Winx back in 2015.

There’s also the Civic Stakes at Rosehill, and of course, rounding off the Belmont Winter, we’ve got the Strickland Stakes, another race for Galaxy Star to laughably fail in.

Of course, the Strickland was named after famed Texan gas provider Buck Strickland, owner of Strickland Propane.

Taste the meat, not the heat!

Mr Wong in Race 1 at Rosehill, 11:30pm AEST

1400m Class 2 Highway Handicap

Trainer: Stephen Jones, Hoop: Aaron Bullock

We’re back for another swing at the Highway, and hopefully I’m right about the Scone visitor Mr Wong, a lightly raced 3YO (5:2,2,0) who last appeared in a Randwick Highway on June 8, saving ground on the inside to come steaming home on the Heavy ground, and miss Maelea Magic by a head.

If the bookies are to be believed, he’s been the best supported runner on the Rosehill card, so to repeat the crap joke, please be right, Mr Wong!

Savacool (No.4) in Race 3 at the Sunshine Coast, 1:58pm AEST

1600m Benchmark 85 Handicap

Trainer: Chris Waller, Hoop: Glen Boss

Two Hall of Famers in Chris Waller and the Boss Man combine in the 3rd at the Sunny Coast with the mare Savacool, who comes in 3rd Up after working home ‘solidly’ to finish 5th in the Listed Wayne Wilson three weeks ago behind Vinland, which is code for “She was never going to win”.

The Savabeel mare been kept fresh by the No.1 stable in Australia, and she’s staying at the mile- Two sure signs that she’s probably going to come out with all guns blazing, and probably end up running like a fart in an elevator.

One query remains on her though, and it’s that she’s untried on Heavy ground, although if her Soft form is an unreliable indicator, (5 starts for 3 wins), then she should be fine.

Big watch on her main rival Queen of Kingston, who’s going for the hat-trick.

City Circle (No.12) in Race 5 at Belmont, 3:03pm AWST (5:03pm)

1300m Graduation Handicap

Trainer: Neville Parnham, Hoop: Chris Parnham

Race 5 at soggy Belmont shapes up as a battle between the fillies; Pike and Price with Caerhelan, and the Parnhams with ‘Shitty Shircle’, as Ken Callander would say.

This prep’s been one of frustration for the ‘Shircle’, as she landed a hat-trick of second placings to Simon Miller’s trio Dance Music, Flower of War and Flirtini, and then a fortnight ago, she was held up on the fence at the top of the straight, and shock horror, the eventual trifecta flew down the outside with momentum while ‘Shircle’ was ridden out for 4th.

With a touch of luck, she’s going to land right behind the leaders from Barrier 4, and with Caerhelan and Pikey probably alongside in Barrier 3, we’re probably going to left with yet another runner-up finish.

Jamaican Rain (No.3) in Race 8 at the Sunshine Coast, 5:10pm AEST

1400m Listed Quality Glasshouse Handicap

Trainer: Richard Laming, Hoop: Tegan Harrison

Richard Laming might best remembered for his Thrilla In Manilla with Noel Callow in the Cranbourne car park last year, but he’s also got a very handy mare in Jamaican Rain, going for back to back wins in the Glasshouse with Tegan Harrison aboard!

She reunited with the Queensland hoop in the Goodwood in Adelaide to run 7th, and then put in a decent effort last weekend in the Tatts Tiara, finishing 5th, around 1.25 lengths off Invincibella.

Now, dropping back to listed grade, with 2 wins out of 3 on Heavy tracks, assuming she can handle the dreaded 7 day backup, I’ll happily declare that the favourite is the favourite for a reason!

🤪🤪CRAZY CRAIG’S TIP OF THE DAY🤪🤪

LAYING England (No.2) in Race 3 at Rosehill, 12:40pm AEST

1400m 3YO BM74 Handicap

Trainer: Chris Waller, Hoop: Tommy Berry

G’day young boys and girls, Crazy Craig, The Boy from Bairnsdale, bringing you the usual scintillating Saturday repertoire of me picking a poor bastard to get beaten!

And this Saturday I’m off to Rosehill, to do what our esteemed cricketers did on Tuesday night, and that’s knock off England!

More specifically, Chris Waller’s England!

On the back of a very close 2nd in a three-way finish at Rosehill a fortnight ago, my target has been backed into $3.20 by the punters in a conceivably easier race.

BUT I’M CRAAAAZY ENOUGH TO BE DIFFERENT!

A runner like Kris Lees’ Think Free will probably be running home with the Pom, and then throw in the handy Phaistos for the Blue Army, and as a result, I’m going against the market support, and smacking England as my Lay of the Day!

I’m Crazy Craig, and that’s why they call me Craaaaaazy Craig!

YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IS CRAZY? ACCORDING TO THE WA TAB, THERE’S TWO SUNNY COAST MEETINGS TOMORROW!