PUNTERS are a forgiving bunch and it seems are prepared to back their confidence that Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente can stage a form reversal and win The BMW at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Fiorente ran the worst race of his Australian career when a struggling seventh in the Ranvet Stakes last month but has firmed from $3.8 to $3.6 to turn the tables on the Kiwi Silent Achiever, $5 to $3.8.
It’s A Dundeel, which finished third in the much-anticipated match race fizzler in the Ranvet, pulled up lame after trackwork on Monday but has firmed from $4.6 to $4.2. There has been a move at odds for Voleuse De Coeurs from $21-$8.
MY SELECTION IS FIORENTE – on his BEST FORM should win this and prepared to accept that the Ranvet was not run to suit him.
FEATURE race the GOLDEN SLIPPER has seen the favorite Earthquake ease from $2.3 to $2.6 after he threw a virus scare through the Peter Snowden stable early in the week but all seems to have been well with her work since.
Mossfun for Team Hawkes, the obvious danger on form, has firmed from $6-$4.6 but on their last clash Earthquake does look a shade too good.
The Peter Moody stable is quietly confident Bring Me The Maid $11 can cause a boilover while the sentimental favorite will be Unemcumbered, $19-$17, a winner of the Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast in January for ill-fated jockey Nathan Berry.
MY SELECTION IS EARTHQUAKE $2.6 despite the preparedness of bookies to take her on. She has done nothing albeit the setback early in the week and the wide alley makes the set against her understandable.
THE Vinery Stakes is the other G1 on the card at Rosehill Gardens where the Victorian visitor Solicit has been a well backed $5 to $4.6 favorite. The New Zealander Rising Romance has attracted plenty of early interest and is the second elect at $5.5.
There has been a good move at odds in this for the Sam Kavanagh-trained Interspersed which has firmed from $26 to $15. Zanbagh, which sat wide but still proved too strong in the Keith Nolan Classic at Kembla Grange has eased to $6.5.
I think there’s one in this at reasonable odds that can figure in the finish in LUCIA VALENTINA at $8. At her first start since coming from New Zealand she ran an eye-catcher in the Surround then got too far out of her ground but was closing late in the Coolmore.
THERE have been some good early betting moves on Golden Slipper day. One of these has been the Victorian last start winner Vervelicious which has firmed from $15 to $5 in The Schweppervesence.
The Kiwi Hi Tec did little in the Phar Lap but has firmed from $26 to $9 in the Tulloch Stakes so look for an improvement from this colt in a race where another from across the Ditch in Atlante has been best backed from $5 to $4.4 with the blinkers going on.
One of the biggest goes of the day has been Leebaz in the Doncaster Prelude. A winner at five of his seven starts the Team Hawkes-trained galloper has firmed from $4.6 to $2.7 despite the presence of the Chris Waller import Weary which the champion trainer has declared ready to win.
OUR BEST BET OF THE DAY IS CATKINS for the Waller stable in the Emancipation. She is no fancy odds at $1.7 but looks twice as good a thing if they elect to lead and with little obvious pace in the race that could happen.
AT the FLEMINGTON meeting we are suggesting an early BEST BET in the Peter Moody-trained RIVER DELTA, $3, which won on debut at Yarra Valley. The three-year-old filly has drawn out but looks above average and the stable is supremely confident.
There have been a couple of good early moves at odds in Melbourne – Jarklin in the second has firmed from $13 to $5; Resistant in the fifth is $31 to $8 and Keep De Rose in the sixth is $15 to $6.
IF there is a good thing on the EAGLE FARM card it looks to be LADY ECHELON in the second. She is fitter for two runs from a spell and deserves her short quote of $2.1. If there is a danger it could come from RAEBURN, $8, which caught the eye first-up when the apprentice copped a four-month suspension over her ride.