Pretty severe gear change

Ascot R1 #3 Fathing Fast (g) 3rd
Sandown Race 1 #1 Dillon Hall (g) 2nd

As we have a day off, here are some selections for tomorrow:

Caulfield
Race 5
17.Boer Gelded
18.Belesron Gelded
20.Excellent Flight Gelded

Oakbank
Race 1
1.Fair Script Gelded
Race 6
12.Waitaha Toa Gelded

Caulfield
Race 5
17.Boer Gelded unplaced
18.Belesron Gelded scratched
20.Excellent Flight Gelded unplaced

Oakbank
Race 1
1.Fair Script Gelded 3rd
Race 6
12.Waitaha Toa Gelded 3rd

A nice place profit today.

Kensington
Race 1
#1
Astro Avalanche (g) Scratched :(

Flemington
R1
#8
Single Days (g)

Gosford
R5
#1
Queenian (g)

Gosford
R6
#4
Goldclip (g)

Belle Couture I had mentioned previously was not happy within herself.
She's fighting against riders and handlers and doesn't look comfortable at all.
She's wearing a crossover noseband these days as has the inclination to over race. After her narrow defeat at Bendigo, she strode out at Caulfield to storm home for a convincing win.
After that performance, I began to question myself, but I think it's more Damien Oliver has found the key to getting her to settle and use the least energy.
Low and behold, she steps out at Flemington and this is what Winks had to say after finishing dead last:
Belle Couture – rider J Winks reported was fractious in the barriers, stumbled on jumping, was slow into stride and failed to travel throughout. A post race veterinary examination failed to reveal any abnormal findings.
Stewards have her on watch, maybe she has to trial.

Being fractious, slow out and stumbling would be it for a leader, but they planned to come home from back in the field, the fact she made zero ground tends to suggest she used up all her nervous energy just prior to the gates opening.

Is this going to be one of those sad stories of a horse with great potential, not being able to exhibit it on track because of lack of understanding.

She has a very long way to go to recoup the fortune they outlayed on her.

Sounds like one for the knackery to me.

Certainly not DD.
The horse has potential, that's the point.

Of great interest to me was the win of BELEEUP yesterday at bolters odds.
No, never had a bet on it at all.
The interest came from the fact that I looked into it's past, I believe it won a trial earlier on and then ran 5th in the country, 4th in the city, and then 5th in the city.
The horse has had very bad hooves looking into it. And John McArdle said the horse has a lot of talent on the training track but is a bolter. Unable to be slowed in a race and at one time had been banned for being difficult to load.

They put on a crossover noseband and whacko 1st at bolters odds.
It's basically a bridle for horses that open their mouth in races and “pull”. A crossover nose band has 2 straps that cross over the front of the nose to from an X. The bottom strap does up under the chin – the other one is half way down the nasal bone. The crossover nose band stops the horse from opening its mouth but also the horse feels pressure the moment he starts to bolt from both the bit and the noseband.

I find it interesting that sometimes there is just no explanation on paper for a form turnaround, and others have little histories that do explain it.
It did blow like the North wind in betting also, so the stable must not have realised the difference this type of gear can do to a horse's performance.