Picture: JAMES MURPHY
RACING venues on public holidays in South Australia are generally in or around Adelaide and very rarely in the South East.
The one exception is the annual Easter Sunday meet at Penola, which has proved to be a runaway success since its inception almost 20 years ago.
In a new move, racing next Monday (Labour Day) will be at Naracoorte with extra prizemoney allocated to the meeting.
Sunday’s feature race, the 1430 metre BM 80 handicap, offers $20,000 all up – $5000 more than normal – but even that incentive has failed to attract extra runners, with only five final acceptors.
No race is worth less than $13,000, which is $3000 above normal and the response to the other seven races has been very rewarding for race officials.
Victorian trainers from as far away as Cranbourne, Ballarat and Geelong are crossing the border to add some bite to a meeting which has attracted gallopers with some very ordinary form for punters to work on.
Jockey wise, we see the return of Adelaide apprentice Kayla Crowther with a full book of rides (eight) following an outstanding effort to ride half the program (four winners) at Penola last Sunday.
Newly settled Naracoorte based jockey Sairyn Fawker also has a full book of rides and three Victorian hoops (Declan Bates, Christine Puls and Jackie Beriman) will also boost the riding ranks.
Hopefully, the days of rain affected tracks in the Limestone Coast has ended for 2018 and yesterday the Naracoorte track was rated as a Soft 5.
“Monday is forecast to be 22 degrees and there may be a possibility of a track upgrade to a Good 4 by then,” Naracoorte racecourse curator Bill Vine stated yesterday.
WINNER MAY BE HIDDEN
PUNTERS still alive in the final leg of the quadrella, treble and double may have to scout wide to find the winner of the final event, the class two handicap, with a capacity field and plenty of chances.
Constantly in the placings of late may see the Naracoorte trained Pewter start favourite, but the gelding is proving a very costly commodity for punters.
At his only Naracoorte start last April, the Adelaide visitor Jackthegiantslayer caught the eye with a fast finishing third to Elzette when heavily backed.
He then put in a similar run when a first-up fifth at Murray Bridge last week and the form line from that Elzette race suggests Jackthegiantslayer may be the value runner on Monday.
Horsham trainer Simon Gebert will saddle up the five year old gelding Atomic Knight, a winner of his only Naracoorte start (a maiden) back in January.
The five-year-old gelding flashed home for third when resuming at Warracknabeal a month ago, before a disappointing 11th at Echuca last start.
Perhaps he should be given another chance, although an outside barrier does not help his cause.
At his first run for the Sue Jaensch stable since arriving from Victoria, Takemehomemister ran a handy fourth at Murray Bridge last week, however he has never raced beyond 1200 metres and the 1430 metres and a wide barrier should have him at good odds.
Some chance should be given to the Murray Bridge trained Holy Trilogey on his third at Gawler in August, but he has to improve on his latest effort when last at Balaklava.
CAN CLASS PREVAIL?
THE class runner of the feature race looks to be the top weight Usain Dane, now with the Sue Jaensch stable.
His effort to run fourth in a strong 1050 metre sprint race on Balaklava cup day, beaten two lengths when resuming from a three month spell was full of merit.
On Monday he ventures into uncharted waters when he steps up to 1430 metres for the very first time in his 24-run career.
Interestingly, stable jockey Sairyn Fawke has elected to ride stablemate Von Costa Glass, also racing second up this campaign after a recent seventh at Morphettville.
Von Costa Glass has not missed a place from four starts – including two wins – at Naracoorte and on that form alone he will start one of the favourites.
The in-form runner of the small field is the Jenny Gow-Whyte trained Soul Fire, with a win at Naracoorte and two placings from his past four starts.
Soul Fire is stepping up in grade and his only start at the distance was back in June at Ballarat on a heavy track when he failed to beat a runner home.
It really is a race for the veterans as all of the five runners are seven years of age or more.
LUCK NEEDED
THE combination of trainer Paul Preusker and jockey Declan Bates may be a pointer towards the winner of the 1200 metre BM 58 handicap with Burnvale Lady.
It is one of the most open races seen around here for a long time with a capacity field and punters should get good value about any selection.
Burnvale Lady does not win out of turn, but neither do her rivals.
The mare shed some light to an upcoming improved performance by running home from ninth on the home turn for sixth at Coleraine over 1300 metres last Sunday.
The top weight Little Heath is returning to racing from a five month break and was scratched from Coleraine last Sunday in preference for this race.
His only win was at Naracoorte back in February, however his fourth at the same venue in a BM 60 race in April behind Any Given Glass and Naseeb reads as good form for this.
Also returning to the track from a lengthy break is the Bob and Kane Post trained Bunumburt, a winner fresh in the past.
That was at double-figure odds on Mount Gambier cup day last December over 1200 metres and perhaps a repeat offering is on the cards.
