Cyril Flower Stakes Day

January had been a wipeout for most bookies with the favourites rolling in one after the other. Some bookies losses looked more like telephone numbers but the first meeting of February was to change all of that....big time!

 

Race 1:

One of the most average bunch of two year old's you would ever see fronted up in the first to share the $50,000 purse. The race held very little interest for us and most horses drifted with very little interest. We might just leave it at that!

 

Race 2: 

Ditto the second race, but with more exposed form, the three year olds at least held the interest of the punters. Crosselle looked the one to beat but at $2.40 she was well under the odds. She eased to $2.60 before being crunched back to $2.20. Ocean Cracker ($4.60 - $8) and Converted ($3.70 - $6) had the plague while Pennies OReilly ($7 - $8.50 - $7.50), Dynamic Dane ($8 - $9.50 - $8.50) and Heavenly Divine ($12 - $17 - $14) were all fancied to differing degrees. We thought the price on Heavenly Divine was madness in such a low grade race and some astute punters agreed, snapping up the $17 each way. Brett Popes Niello filly provided the first of many great results for bookies on the day.

 

Race 3:

We liked the favourite in the third but had received a sneaky tip to beware the stable mate. Impatient Times ($2.70 - $3.10 - $2.60) from the in form Ben Pearce stable, was the one to beat. New Image however, opened the short priced favourite on the tote and was backed from $3 to $2.70 after opening at $2.50. Power Princess ($3.80 - $4.60) was the other in the market but failed to raise any significant amount of interest. Ben Pearce's second stringer, Yabigorse ($15 - $16) was the knockout for bookies and delivered in style.

 

Race 4:

Taharka ($2.60) was the short priced favourite in the fourth, and rightly so after his impressive win just two weeks earlier. Colin Webster's six year old Akhenaton gelding was steadily supported into $2.90 after reaching $3.10. Dante Zonte ($6.50 - $5) and Mister Mims ($6 - $8 - $6.50) were both well supported to beat the favourite while eventual winner Given Vision ($8 - $9) was harder to lay. Timeous ($10 - $13) has lost all his friends while Sloane Square ($8 - $11 - $9) was specked at double figures. The blinkers did the trick on Given Vision as he saluted for the first time in more than two years. Usually Peter Knuckey's ride, this could well have been the middle picket for a five win day!

 

Race 5:

Nollamara ($1.90) was probably the worthy favourite, but not at that price! The former top two year old drifted to $2.30 before being heavily backed back into a shade of odds on. The problem for bookies was that Alan Kennedy was always going to give it the run of the race. Our very own Werd ($10 - $15 - $12) went around from the wide gate. We didn't fancy him, but someone did. Estiarte ($6.50 - $8.50) was our pick but no one else agreed. Hide The Loot ($4.80 - $8) was always going to find it a bit short and eventual winner All Fury ($8 - $11) was deserted, probably due to the rider and quite unjustly! On The Carpet ($5 - $6 - $5) was the best backed runner outside the favourite but was never going to get a kind run. God bless Kyra Yuill with a great ride to save us from certain death at the 100m mark!

 

Race 6:

Could we get another seemingly unbeatable favourite beaten? Heartache had crushed our spirits the week prior, capping a horror day for bookies on the last day of January. It was time to plot our revenge! The punters were not perturbed, crashing the Jeune mare from $1.90 to $1.75. Island in the Sun ($6 - $8) was weighted to give her a run for her money, but the support just wasn't there. We fancied Changing Lanes again after he had saved us a massive payout the week prior. Graeme Ballantyne's nine year old was specked from $14 to $11 but never saw the light of day. Lobbyist ($7 - $8.50 - $7) was going to need every chance to beat this lot and Last Curtain ($15 - $21) was always going to get too far back. Heart Ache did it to us again, racing wide this time but was still good enough to put a dent in our thus far faultless day.

 

Race 7:

The Adam Durrant - Alan Kennedy show was set to roll on with Golden Heart ($2.40 - $2.70 - $2.10) in the feature. But like most of the favourites on the day, we just thought he was under the odds. Sportsbet kindly offered up $19 about Hadabeclorka in early markets and we availed ourselves of as much as we could (which wasn't too much I'm giving you the tip!). He was well liked in betting proper too ($10 - $14 - $12). Ballroom Crown ($6 - $8.50) was stepping up considerably in class and was really hard to lay, as were Broome Time ($8 - $12) and Moccasin Bend ($5.50 - $9). Vizard ($6 - $8 - $6) hasn't looked right for the last two campaigns and his run was no better in the Flower. Glory Hunter ($18 - $26) showed a glimmer of his better days in running fourth. Golden Heart was steamrolled after leading for most of the race, much the same as the treatment being handed out to favourite punters!

 

Race 8:

We had laid some big top fluc bets about Late Night Flight and Dominicano early in the day in what appeared to be a two horse race. Remarkably, Late Night Flight ($3.50 - $3.90) was easy in the market while Dominicano ($4.60 - $5.50 - $5) only had moderate interest. The money for Raging ($6 - $6.50 - $4.4) was unprecedented. His form was modest at best and we were confident he wouldn't be beating the two favourites home. The third cog in the betting wheel however made for an incredible betting race. Black Habit ($9 - $16), Rock My Pago ($5.50 - $7.50) and Kender ($9 - $13) all suffered at the hands of the heavily backed top three in betting. Dane Smile ($8 - $11 - $9) probably slipped under the radar, despite the steady support. Paula Wagg's four year old mare topped a great day for Peter Knuckey with four of the best winners the bookies had ever seen! Good onya Knucks!

 

Barring Heart Ache, the day was a wipeout for most punters. Most bookies recovered much of the lost ground (but none of the lost hair) sustained over the previous month of horror. Unfortunately, days like these are few and far between in Perth and if by some chance you mess it up.......its an opportunity lost!

 

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