BEST BET: ICECRUSHER (Race 7)
EACH-WAY: ARAY OF SUNSHINE (Race 8)
VALUE: MAGIC PHANTOM (Race 9)
RACE 1 - 11:32AM G.H. Mumm Two-Year-Old Maiden Plate (1100 METRES)
TAUNTING was $3.10 into $2.20 when beaten by Madam Furphy on debut. He had trialled up well prior and gets another chance here in a winnable race after scratchings. STRIKE EAGLE battled on debut at Flemington back in January but has the blinkers off, has been gelded and draws a nice barrier. VEZERE RIVER is a son of Alpine Eagle on debut for David Jolly and is a watch, MY KHALIFA was OK on debut behind Knightstown back in February, ZYCLONIC trialled OK behind Tilbury at Port Lincoln, while stablemate PRETENTIOUS DIVA ran third in the same trial.
SELECTIONS: TAUNTING, Strike Eagle, Vezere River
RACE 2 - 12:07PM Accolade Wines Handicap (1200 METRES)
JAPERY brings some nice Victorian form over the border. He was runner-up behind Foxy Frida at Flemington last time out and maps well from the gate. He also gets in well after the claim for Campbell Rawiller. TANJA’S DREAM is chasing her fourth win on end here and was impressive beating Great Diviner, who has won since, over the 1000m trip here last time when she was a big drifter in the market. She draws out but is sure to make her own luck early. WINNING WEATHER was impressive beating Hypersonic two starts back before a solid run behind Imperial Hilton last time. She’s a nice filly and sure to run well. FALL ON A STAR was game behind Imperial Hilton last time and her previous tow wins were excellent. She draws out but that should suit her pattern. VICTORY CLUB is going well winning his past two back in class and must be given some thought despite the rise in class. SHORT STORIES was good winning at a price last time and looks set to get a nice run from a good barrier. LADY SIMONE was good two starts back beating Nordic Lass in much weaker grade before finding Victory Club too smart last time. VANCITY GEM showed promise early but would need to improve sharply on her two runs back from a spell this time around.
SELECTIONS: JAPERY, Winning Weather, Tanja’s Dream
Race 3 - 12:42PM The Junction Maiden Plate (1200 METRES)
Looks a very open race. YOWZA caught the eye with a slashing run at his SA debut closing late behind Royal Obsession on the Park track and getting out to the 1200m looks ideal. UTAH JOE was another to finish off well in the same race and wears the winkers for the first time. WE WILL REMEMBER ran well at good odds behind Spinola Bay at Murray Bridge last time and is worth some thought here. Stablemate MISS SIZZLER rode the speed and battled on OK behind Royal Obsession last time. PENFRIEND trialled only fairly at Morphettville back in November. PRINCE OF FENCES debuts for Michael Hickmott and has been trialled. TURFITT was heavily backed but beaten 4.8 lengths behind Short Stories and comes up pretty short here. LOTTIE’S THE BOSS debuted back in February and was OK behind Daily Spirit and draws a nice gate here.
SELECTIONS: YOWZA, We Will Remember, Utah Joe
RACE 4 - 1:17PM Furphy Handicap (1050 METRES)
LARIMER STEET was OK first-up for the David Jolly before being ridden cold off the speed and charging over the top of rivals last time. He’s been placed on heavy and looks the one to beat again. BRIMARVI VEHERO is going super and maps well from the barrier and has the claim for Jacob Opperman. EXTRA MILE is a winner on heavy going and his run three starts back behind Trygve was good for this. EPIC GREY was big after covering plenty of ground behind Too Good Too Hard last week at Murray Bridge and should get a good run here from the barrier. GREAT LEVELLER was going super before two runs in Melbourne when he was OK at Sandown two starts back and should run well from a perfect barrier. STAR HILLS has a good record and will appreciate the drop in class after chasing home Savatoxl in the D C McKay Stakes last time. He is a winner at his only start on heavy going. MUM’S MY HERO likes there conditions and was hitting the line sharply behind Larimer Street last time. CELTIC BLAST has a good fresh record.
SELECTIONS: LARIMER STREET, Brimarvi Vehero, Extra Mile
RACE 5 - 1:52PM Dominant Handicap (1526 METRES)
Looks a very open race if you don’t like the favourite MY BOY BIRMINGHAM who was easy in betting but won well on debut on the Ballarat Synthetic track despite walking late. He draws out wide but staying out of trouble and off the track may be advantageous. He’s been very solid in early betting. SKY HERO looked plain on face value first-up in SA when he sat off the speed but failed to make an impression behind Betta Eddie at Murray Bridge. His Victorian form was OK and getting out in trip should suit. LADY BETHANY has been only fair in three runs back from a spell but she has the blinkers off and winkers going on here and is more than capable in a race like this. CARBONE has been racing well back in class but deserves a crack in a race like this. WHISKEY ‘N’ WOMEN was a good winner first up, RENASCENCE was a Pakenham and Wangaratta winner in April and makes his debut for Andrew Clarken here.
SELECTIONS: SKY HERO, My Boy Birmingham, Lady Bethany
RACE 6 - 2:32PM Cancer Council SA Handicap (2032 METRES)
NOT USUAL GLORIOUS has been super impressive since coming to SA winning first-up at a price before overpowering Does It last time. He gets out to 2032 which should be ideal and the prospects of a wet Morphettville will only enhance his winning chances. LORENTE looms as a danger having missed a place just once in eight starts and was a Ballarat winner on a heavy track last time. He draws an inside gate but should be fighting out the finish. DOES IT was a good Gawler winner back in class two starts back before another solid city performance behind No Usual Glorious last time. His form in SA has been very good and he’s another drawn to get a nice run. LORD BOUZERON thrived on a red-hot speed to win last start and maps to get another gun run here from gate four. CANFORD is on the quick turn around again here and worked home well last time out when sent out in the red. Although this is a stronger race, he must be respected.
SELECTIONS: NOT USUAL GLORIOUS, Lorente, Does It
RACE 7 - 3:12PM SAJC Archivers Handicap (1600 METRES)
ICECRUSHER has come back well and was ridden perfectly coming off the speed to win last time out. The bigger track should suit. She handles the soft conditions and should get through anything in the heavy range. CRYPTO CURRENCY has been racing well winning two of his past three back slightly in class and draws a wide gate. CARAK is another who would love to see a bottomless track having finished in the money at six of seven heavy track runs. TIBETAN has plenty of talent on his day and has been placed at both runs here. He’s been freshened since chasing home Azzureous at Murray Bridge back in February and is a winner on heavy going. SERIOUS SPENDER gets in well here after the claim.
SELECTIONS: ICECRUSHER, Crypto Currency, Carak
RACE 8 - 3:51PM TAB Handicap (1200 METRES)
ARAY OF SUNSHINE ticks a lot of boxes. She was sound first-up from a spell chasing home Hills and has two wins and a second from five second-up runs. The only concern is a heavy track but getting to 1200m is ideal and she just has to get the right run from an inside gate to give this a big shake. LAKE'S FOLLY was placed behind Angaston last time out and going back four runs she was only narrowly beaten by Ironclad. She has been runner-up at two runs on heavy and has solid appeal here. LIDO BEACH led them up and weakened late at his local debut but was a Ballarat winner previously. He has been in the money at two heavy track runs and that bodes well for this, he looks well over the odds. FRANKIE PINOT resumes, was a winner his only start here and has placed at both first-up runs previously. He has also got through a bottomless track previous and should run well. RINGFORT was good first-up for Will Clakren and has appeal here. KAYSERI could be ready to strike third-up and he was solid late behind La Richesse on the Parks. The gelding has two wins and two placings from four starts here. LI’L HANK finished off smartly behind Midnight Storm last time and must be respected on that, AMBIDAZZLE is going well and should get a nice run.
SELECTIONS: ARAY OF SUNSHINE, Lake’s Folly, Lido Beach
RACE 9 - 4:30PM Irish Race Day at Morphettville - Saturday August 14 Handicap (1050 METRES)
MAGIC PHANTOM is bursting to break through and was good again behind an impressive Hills here last time out. He has a very good record on a heavy track with three wins from four starts and shapes as a big winning hope. HE'S EXCLUSIVE was well backed but only fair at his SA debut behind Skara Brae at Murray Bridge. He draws a nice gate and has the big weight but has handled heavy conditions and should give this a big shake. THE BIG GOODBYE was racing well before a break and has never been out of the placings in three starts here. FRENCH ROCK is now with David Jolly and was a big mover in early markets. SKARA BRAE was well found in betting to win first-up for the Grant Young stable.
SELECTIONS: MAGIC PHANTON, He’s Exclusive, The Big Goodbye
