Chalk Eating our way out of a pandemic

Ladies and gents, if you thought things were tough right now, just wait until you see the final leg of the Rosehill quaddie.

As the states keep bringing in COVID-19 measures, such as raising minimum weights & isolating jockeys, a major racing story broke on Wednesday….

ALLIGATOR BLOOD IS A DIRTY ROTTEN CHEAT.

Turned out the banned substance was altrenogest…. Which is what they give to mares to control reproductive cycles…. and is banned for geldings.

His owner Allan Endresz has gone on a tangent – First he cracked the shits about scratching Gator from the All Star Mile because his sick wife Joy couldn’t see the race at Caulfield, now he claims that Gator is being targeted by crooks like Phar Lap was in 1930!

Blaming others – The exact thing a GUILTY party would say!

Anyway, the excitement has disappeared for what looks another huge weekend – The G1 William Reid tonight at Death Valley (As I write this Loving Gaby got the bikkies), followed by Slipper Day tomorrow at Rosehill with the 5 Group 1s…

Aaaaaaand the Mornington Cup.

I haven’t included the Slipper in the tips, as there are apparently better favourites to back, but I’ll probably take Tagaloa.

Mugatoo (No.7, Barrier 5) in Race 2 at Rosehill, 1:10pm AEDT

2400m Group 3 N.E Manion Cup

Trainer: Kris Lees, Hoop: Kerrin McEvoy, 54kg

Mugatoo – He’ll certainly get backed by a mug or two.

As we hit the peak of the Autumn racing, Shared Ambition, Master Of Wine and Mugatoo are looking like the 3 future staying prospects of this season, and it can’t be a coincidence that they’re all European imports.

Completely ignoring the stayer that won the Melbourne Cup.

After 2 wins at Randwick (At polar opposite weights of 50.5kg and 60kg), Mugatoo went down to Canberra for the Cup on the public holiday Monday, and at 54kg, it was like stealing wheat from a blind chook for the chalk eaters of Australia, as he careered to a 2.5 length win and continued his rise through the ranks.

McEvoy stays aboard, the upside is still there, he once again gets the relatively low weight of 54kg, so we’ll find out if the Mug is ready to go at a staying distance for the first time in Australia.

Chances are Rosehill will play like a leaders paradise… It usually happens.

Addeybb (No.2, Barrier 5) in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill, 2:25pm AEDT

2000m WFA Group 1

Trainer: William Haggas, Hoop: Tom ‘The Pom’ Marquand, 59kg

Willie Haggas.

With a name like that, you’d think he was the stereotype of a Scotsman.

True story – He’s the son-in-law of the great Lester Piggot, who won the Derby a lazy 9 times, was Champion Jockey 11 times, and even did 3 years in jail for tax evasion.

Haggas managed to beat the travel restrictions by a couple of weeks, and if there is a racing positive about the current travel restrictions, it’s that Tom Marquand will be riding in Sydney for a couple more weeks.

He is a bloody top notch talent – Case in point, Prague in the Pago Pago last week, who looked ready to pack it in about 4 times in the straight, but Tom The Pom just kept belting that persuader, to the point that he’s an outside chance in the Golden Slipper.

As for his ride in the Ranvet, Addeybb’s European form is top notch – He ran 2nd to top mare Magical in the Champion Stakes last October, and notably, he’s defeated Magic Wand at Royal Ascot, and Magic Wand was very prominent in the Melbourne Spring – 4th in the Cup, and then pulled off the 4 day backup and won the Mackinnon.

At $2.40, the mugs (Like me) are listening to the Canterbury musings and taking him on trust that he’ll fire 1st Up, because if he does, Avilius and Verry Elleegant are going to have to whip out the rosary beads…. Or adopt some Mel Schumacher tactics.

Te Akau Shark (No.2, Barrier 8) in The George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill, 3:05pm AEDT

1500m WFA Group 1

Trainer: Jamie Richards, Hoop: Opie Bosson, 59kg

“You should never underestimate a Shark when he is in trouble, especially when, he is underwater.” – Ian Chappell, 1987

You want to know who the last winner of the George Ryder not named Winx was?

The Japanese visitor Real Impact in 2015, trained by Noriyuki Hori, who is most definitely not the trainer of Lys Gracieux…. Or Delta Blues.

Horses are creatures of habit, and something clearly clicked inside the mind of Te Akau Shark over the summer, following his multiple G1 placings in the Australian Spring (Including the Cox Plate).

He came back and won the G1 Waikato Sprint at Te Rapa, then ventured to Randwick in the Chipping Norton, and after looking Buckley’s at the 600 (Under hard riding), The Shark got the scent of blood and devoured Verry Elleegant on the post, in something resembling what happened to Chrissie at the start of Jaws.

I don’t know what Jamie Richards did, but bloody oath, it worked.

Of course, the other facet is that Opie Bosson very nearly missed out on riding The Shark this week, because of the New Zealand lockdown – He went home from Melbourne after the All-Star Mile, then hopped straight on a plane to Sydney from Auckland on Saturday afternoon, meaning he didn’t have to self-isloate for a fortnight.

I’m happy to stay with him in pursuit of the G1 hat-trick, up against fellow Kiwi The Bostonian and the gun 3YO Super Seth, and in spite of the fact that he’s part-owned by questionable character Paul Gallen, because let’s face it, nobody’s perfect.

Token Ascot Tip

Regal Counsel (No.3, Barrier 2) in Race 8 at Ascot, 5:10pm AWST

1400m 72+ Rating Handicap

Trainer: Peter Fernie, Hoop: Mitch Pateman, 58.5kg

Peter Fernie has sent the float up the Great Eastern Highway from Kalgoorlie, home of Kevin Bloody Wilson, and he’s got 2 major chances on the 8th on the card – Pym’s Royale, ridden by Pikey and currently on the 2nd line, and Regal Counsel, who won last start and was building a picket fence last winter.

It looks a very competitive race – You’ve got the Fernie runners, up against Fred Dag, last start winner King Blitz, and up from Albany is the very solid 3YO Red Can Man.

Now there’s a proper name for a Western Australian horse – We’re all Red Can men over here.

That said, horses named Regal from WA have gone pretty well of late, and I’m more than happy to take the Counsel offered by Mr Fernie, assuming he can get cover in the midfield, which should allow him to have a late crack at the Can Man, who I assume willl be up on speed.

He’s right around $6.50, he won last start, and based on that, I’m happy to break character and have a go at the each way odds here.

Crazy Craig’s Tip of the Day

LAYING Pierata (No.1, Barrier 10) in The Galaxy at Rosehill, 5:10pm AEDT

1100m Group 1 Handicap

Trainer: Greg Hickman, Jockey: Tommy Berry, 59kg

G’day fellow self isolaters, it’s Crazy Craig, The Boy From Bairnsdale, and I am RIDING HIGH of my ace tip of Regal Power!

Hope you all had a good laugh, and I can only say the words of wisdom that my friend Crazy Colin told me one night at the Bowls club – EVEN BROKEN CLOCKS ARE RIGHT 730 TIMES A YEAR!

Or, in the vase of 2020, 732 TIMES!

Anyway, I’ll be living off my winnings through this Corona apocalypse, but for the time being, it’s back to Sydney for ESSENTIAL reasons, and I’ve got my telescope on a star of the turf in The Galaxy Stakes!

Pierata ran 2nd by an eyelash to Nature Strip in this race last year with 56 kilos, but, 12 months on and multiple feature wins later, he’s back 1st Up with a top weight of 59 kilos, giving away 4 kilos to everyone else!

There’s a simple reason I’ve chosen Mr Hickman’s stable star – No horse has ever won The Galaxy carrying 59kg or above!

I don’t think that changes tomorrow!

Pierata – My LAY. OF. THE. DAY.

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