TJ SMITH STAKES - 1200M [Group 1] 26 Mar 05 - Randwick
 

1 ALINGHI Lee Freedman
2 CHARGE FORWARD John O'Shea
3 FASTNET ROCK Paul Perry
4 ONLY WORDS John Hawkes
5 OUR QUIVIRA (NZ) Peter G Moody
6 SEGMENTS Peter G Moody
7 SHAMEKHA Gai Waterhouse
8 SNIPPETSON Guy Walter

The Final Showdown...(Eye of the tiger accompanying in the background)

WFA conditions will see the weight gap back to 2.5kg. They will be racing around the turn won't they? Alinghi again except by further.

some people are talking up Shamekah...dont know why really ...if anything i think Charge Forward has the only show off knocking off Alinghi..
Fastnet rock around the turn has to be a risk..even though its a small field..

Nothing will beat Alinghi here.

Taj is a cluey bloke, but he's off with the pixies with Shamekha.

I think the difference between Fastnet Rock and Alinghi can be seen in their respective 2nd-up runs. Alinghi had a very easy win against moderates, while FNR had a gutbuster in the Oakliegh Plate with a record weight for a 3yo.

My feeling if Alinghi has more up her sleeve than the colt. I'm with Mec, Alinghi by further.

Alinghi has more improvement.
I do think however it was the 57 itself rather than the weight difference that stopped FNR. I think the actual 2kg is the important fact rather than the turnaround between them. FNR raced with no cover and copped interferance at the 500. So i am not writing him off completely. That being said i still think Alingi wins...convinceingly. Odds could be silly on FNR though.

What people???

The people talking up Shamekah I guess ?

Perhaps connections of the Gai Waterhouse stable.
After all I'm sure Gai would dearly like to win this one over the weekend!

Might go the Xcellent - Alinghi all up. Great run by King Johnny and Justa Tad shows NZ form is decent, and Alinghi is a good thing.

People on other forums Sportz....i just can't see why..(regards Shamekah)
does anyone give a chance to Charge Forward here ?

Weights
 

No Horse Trainer Weight

1 FASTNET ROCK Paul Perry 55
2 CHARGE FORWARD John O'Shea 55
3 SHAMEKHA Gai Waterhouse 55
4 ONLY WORDS John Hawkes 55
5 SNIPPETSON Guy Walter 55
6 OUR QUIVIRA (NZ) Peter G Moody 55
7 ALINGHI Lee Freedman 52.5
8 SEGMENTS Peter G Moody 52.5
9 CRIMSON REIGN Bruce McLachlan 52.5

ALINGHI

Not really on his first-up run, and he generally goes best fresh. He's had an interrupted campaign and also i dont think at he's best he could challenge Alinghi.

Final field
 

No. Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight

1 FASTNET ROCK Paul Perry G Boss 6 55
2 SHAMEKHA Gai Waterhouse D Beadman 2 55
3 ONLY WORDS John Hawkes 5 55
4 OUR QUIVIRA (NZ) Peter G Moody J Cassidy 1 55
5 ALINGHI Lee Freedman D Oliver 3 52.5
6 CRIMSON REIGN Bruce McLachlan C Brown 4 52.5

Current fixed odds
 

No. Horse Win

005 Alinghi $1.70
001 Fastnet Rock $2.70
003 Only Words $8.00
002 Shamekha $15.00
004 Our Quivira $17.00
006 Crimson Reign $34.00

The odds are probably right but if the rain comes,hmmmm
Only words first up run was a ripper.Last to fourth and it looked like the jockey was running it up everyones ******** on purpose,flew the last 75m

As the betting suggests FASTNET ROCK & ALINGHI do look a standout quinella. I'm going to put the current outsider of the field CRIMSON REIGN in for 3rd.

My Ratings
 

Alinghi $1.70
Fastnet Rock $2.43

1 FASTNET ROCK
5 ALINGHI
2 SHAMEKHA

Alinghi
Fastnet Rock
Only Words - for third

(5) ALINGHI
(1) FASTNET ROCK
(3) ONLY WORDS

(2) Shamekha
(1) Fastnet Rock
(5) Alinghi

Alinghi @ 1.70 is value for mine.
With you Mr.Ed,2 good things,my only bets for the day.

1] FASTNET ROCK
5] ALINGHI
4] OUR QUIVIRA

Alinghi to be riiden by D.Nikolic

Track slow, thankfully all starting

Fastnet Rock
Only Words
Our Quivra
Shamekha

Current fixed odds
 

No. Horse Win

005 Alinghi $1.70
001 Fastnet Rock $2.75
003 Only Words $8.00
002 Shamekha $16.00
004 Our Quivira $34.00
006 Crimson Reign $34.00

Market movement
 

No. Horse Was Now

005 Alinghi $1.70 $1.70
001 Fastnet Rock $2.70 $2.75
003 Only Words $8.00 $8.00
002 Shamekha $15.00 $16.00
004 Our Quivira $17.00 $34.00
006 Crimson Reign $34.00 $34.00

FASTNET ROCK
ALINGHI
CRIMSON REIGN
SHAMEKHA

Closing fixed odds market
 

No. Selection Win
005 Alinghi $1.70
001 Fastnet Rock $3.00
003 Only Words $8.00
002 Shamekha $17.00
004 Our Quivira $34.00
006 Crimson Reign $34.00

Some people are clever! :o

What a boilover...just a questionable questionable ride from Nikolic i think. Fell right off at 600. Didn't even succeed in stalking Fastnet Rock.

************ Alinghi nosed me out of the first four, still the tri wasn't too bad

Gai must be over the moon!

Race result
 

04 BLACKMORES
T.J.SMITH STK WFA
1200 Metres
1:55pm



WIN/PLACE
2 15.00 4.30
1...............1.70
3.............N.T.D.

QUINELLA (1-2) 25.30
EXACTA (2-1) 103.40
TRIFECTA
(2-1-3) 201.80
FIRST 4
(2-1-3-5) 251.00

(2) SHAMEKHA (D.BEADMAN)
(1) FASTNET ROCK (G.BOSS)
(3) ONLY WORDS (R.M.QUINN)

SCR - NIL

Shamekha on top! Great effort sportznovice!!