If you think it’s hard to find a winner in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup, it looks just as hard to find one in the Skybeau Series Final at Morphettville. With eight of the ten runners finishing in the placings in their last start, we have a hot field of in-form runners vying for the win.
While all the runners are in good form, there is only one horse who is coming into the race as a last start winner. Sue Murphy’s Hasta La War has won two on the trot now and was a dominant last start winner at Morphettville on Cox Plate Day. The gelding is putting together some kind of record with four wins and three seconds from his eight career starts. While he’s up to BM80 class for the first time in his career, he has been racing very well and apprentice Teagan Voorham has ridden him a treat in each of his last two starts. With a drop in weight after rising up in grade, he looks a great chance to make it a hat trick of wins on Cup Day.
Runner-up to Hasta La War on Cox Plate Day was the Victorian visitor Boomstock. He couldn’t chase down the talented four-year-old on that day but was running home strongly. He’s a lightly raced horse who is putting together a great resume with two wins and six placings from his nine career starts. He also drops in the weights on Tuesday and looks as though the 2500m will suit him nicely. He’ll be ridden by Jason Holder who is coming off a big day in the saddle on Saturday and will be full of confidence.
Flow Meter is a horse who’s been contesting plenty of races in this grade or higher lately and has to go in as a big chance on recent form. The 121 start veteran hasn’t missed a spot in the top four in his last ten runs and meets a field who are all up in grade. He’s placed over the 2500m twice in his career and if you look at the horses he’s been running against recently, he has to be in your calculations.
Grant Young’s King Valour was actually the leading point scorer in the Series contesting five races for two wins along the way. He won over 2500m two starts back at Murray Bridge defeating Spiegel Grove but rising in grade was comfortably beaten last start behind Hasta La War. While he looks like he might be a bit outclassed here, you can never write off a Grant Young runner.
Dr Dependable is the other runner worth watching after a consistent campaign. He likes to race on speed and has been run down in his last couple outings but drops in the weights in the Final. He will also get the services of Raquel Clark on Tuesday which should help his chances. If he can pinch a soft lead, he could surprise a few here.
Selections:
- Hasta La War 2. Flow Meter 3. Boomstock 4. Dr Dependable
