grey matter wrap-up
 

The Gray Bear - 2nd
Mavericks Pago – 2nd (beaten a short neck)
Stormy Pleasure – 2nd (beaten a short neck again!)
Rose of Somerset – 5th
Karancher – 3rd
Top Drive – 1st (yeeeha!!)
Quick Johnson – scr
Real Special – 5th
Our Nicola – 6th

PLASTERED / FREE AT LAST
 

Turnbull Stakes

No. Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
1 GREY SONG Tom Hughes S W Arnold 4 59
2 PLASTERED Lindsey Smith P J Harvey 6 57.5
3 SIR DEX Gregory Hickman Z Purton 10 57.5
4 LAD OF THE MANOR (NZ) Roger Hoysted B E Johns 13 57.5
5 CONFECTIONER David Hayes C Williams 16 57.5
6 MAKYBE DIVA (GB) Lee Freedman Steven King 19 56.5
7 FIRST CHARTER (GB) David Hayes N Rawiller 2 56.5
8 FRIGHTENING Bart Cummings 1 56.5
9 RIZON Cliff Brown L Currie 5 56.5
10 COUNT RICARDO Stephen Theodore Ms Michelle Payne 7 56
11 HOLLOW BULLET John McArdle N Ryan 14 55
12 PORTLAND SINGA (NZ) Neville McBurney G Childs 15 55
13 VOUVRAY (NZ) Peter G Moody S Seamer 9 55
14 DEMERGER Danny O'Brien V Hall 8 55
15 DIZELLE John Hawkes D Gauci 3 53.5
16 SHE'S JUSTA TAD (NZ) Rudy Liefting S Baster 12 53.5
17E STELLA GRANDE Lee Freedman N Callow 11 54.5
18E UPRIZE (NZ) Lee Freedman 18 53.5
19E FREE AT LAST (NZ) Alan Mathews 17 53


I’m expecting a much improved run from Plastered but given his main mission is the Melbourne Cup would be pleasantly surprised if he finished in the top 3 or 4 in what looks to be a pretty strong Turnbull Stakes

Free At Last looks likely to miss a start but fingers crossed

Similar thoughts FremantleDoctor re Plastered and at 7/1 (current EW fixed odds for this race) happy to watch and hope for an injury free run

If Free At Last gets a start will have a little EW but will wait till race day as I think she will start better than the 20/1 or 25/1 currently being quoted in fixed odds markets

Grey matter wrap-up
 

Just a couple of starters today at Narrogin - both unplaced

another grey
 

On the subject of greys I liked the way WA’s Polygram got to the line at Morphettville at his last start fitter for that run and looks nicely placed in the last same track on Saturday

stop the world I want to get off
 

Blimey charlie! I thought Polygram had retired!! ..surely he must be suffering the odd dizzy spell as a result of going around and around as often as he does !!! :)

Go The Grey!
 

Seriously..hope the old boy does well this campaign cause he’s been kind to me!

Listed Birthday Stakes, 1200 Metres, Belmont, Saturday 1/10/2005
 

1 True Steel 9 OPN 58.5 Link Robertson M M Payne
2 Call Me Henry (B) 1 OPN 56 Brad Parnham N D Parnham
3 Changing Lanes (B) 8 OPN 54.5 Kevin Forrester R C Mc Pherson
4 Field Commander (B) 2 OPN 53 Dion Luciani C H Webster
5 Intowishin (B) 5 OPN 53 Patrick Carbery A D Mathews
6 Legend Express 6 OPN 53 Clint Harvey C G Willis
7 Local Legend 3 OPN 53 Jason Brown J P Taylor
8 Siesta Bay (B) 4 OPN 53 Daniel Staeck F R Kersley
9 Stir Pak (B) 7 OPN 53 Jeff Noske J G Parke

Early thoughts Birthday Stakes
 

If you forget Call Me Henry’s last 2 starts (both on firm surfaces and over 1400) you would have to give him an excellent chance in the Birthday given likely slow track and the step back in distance. Legend Express has a great strike rate, looks nicely weighted and is unbeaten in the slow. Strong win by Stir Pak first-up beating last week’s sprint winner Gobiton and goes OK in the wet. Field Commander should now be race fit and also OK the wet. Intowishin goes well fresh and in the slow and might be value EW.