The spring season produces an upswing in the amount of meetings conducted in Victoria and that means more talent emerges to follow in the coming weeks.
GEELONG 4/10/17
OUR CROWN MISTRESS
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have given Our Crown Witness three Melbourne runs to start her career and she is just getting better and better with each outing. She was a good winner in the soft ground at Sale before getting back on to firmer footing at Geelong in a Benchmark 64 assignment. Stephen Baster took her to the front, from where he was able to control the race, but the best thing about her win was the way she accelerated to establish a break on her rivals in a few strides before drawing away to score by more than four lengths. She's going places and can handle a step up in class next time out.
BALLARAT 5/10/17
WOULDA THOUGHT SO
This was possibly the best win of the week from a son of So You Think. He probably found the 1200m too short on the Pakenham Synthetic track on September 12 but the step to 1400m on the big Ballarat track made all the difference for Woulda Thought So. Jockey Regan Bayliss took him back from barrier nine and Woulda Thought So relaxed well but he was a long way from the leaders turning for him. Bayliss sent Woulda Thought So to the middle of the track and he charged home over the top of them to get up in a terrific performance. He can't get so far back off them in harder races than a Ballarat maiden but his finishing burst indicated enough talent to take him somewhere this time in.
RYAN'S FENDER
Ryan's Fender started at $201 but he turned in a super effort when third to Reliable Dame over 1600m at Ballarat. While Reliable Dame missed the start and came from last to win, Ryan's Fender did it tough out three and four-wide to the home turn after drawing the outside barrier before Daniel Moor had to stop riding for a few strides to get off heels and to the outside. Ryan's Fender then regained momentum and hit the line well late for third at his maiden turf-track outing. There's a win in him in the next few weeks.
MOONEE VALLEY 6/10/17
CONCHITA
Newcastle trainer Paul Perry has already had success in Melbourne this spring when Perast claimed the Group III Caulfield Guineas Prelude and Conchita can pay her way in her latest trip to Victoria after her solid first-up outing at Moonee Valley. The rail was out 7m for the meeting, which generally doesn't help the backmarkers too much but the mare hit the line hard for second in a 955m scamper, beating all bar Modern Wonder, who had the box seat to the home turn. Conchita hasn't won for a year but her last victory was at the Valley and she'll get a couple of cracks at a win at that circuit in the next month or so.
