A 12-race program – with starts at 411m, 484m and 620m - kicks off at 3:03pm on Friday, November 24 at Casino. The Group 3 Casino Cup final highlights the card. Here’s our full preview:
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R11 - #8 Pin Up
Looks like a talented young dog who will be fourth up at the tricky Casino track on Friday. First three runs resulted in two good efforts of 23.95 (in a mixed fourth/fifth grade event) and then 23.50 over the 411m journey. Then trainer Chris Field stepped him up over 484m where he went 28.17 to finish runner-up to Major Rust. Back in trip and with the benefit of a few looks at the place, this pure fifth grade outing looks a good race for him. Box 8 can be tough at Casino but he has good early toe and may be able to sit outside Ice To Fire who looks the main danger.
Forget he went around last start at the same track and trip when tried hard to get across early but couldn’t and was then dragged down and spat out the back to finish at the tail of the field. The start prior on November 14 was full of merit though with the 23.74 second placing behind Darby Display tying in well with the dog who beat him last week, Indefatigable (Darby Display went under to the same dog by 0.75 of a length). Trainer Rob Andrews will be over the moon with the Box 3 draw after the dog pulled 8, 8, 8 and 7 in his last four goes. With even luck, he looks hard to beat.
The Group 3 Casino Cup on the circle track is much sought after in the region with both locals and border hoppers chasing the cash and the prestige. The race was won last year by Take Two for John Thomas.
Magistrate (3) is the dog to beat and his record at Casino is excellent with two wins and a second in three starts. His only defeat came at the hands of Magic Secret (who also jumps in this final) in the Casino heats of the MDC, but Magistrate came back a week later and hammered them to win the final by six lengths in a time of 27.22. His heat victory was sharp (27.47) and the second fastest of the night, and from Box 3 (6: 3-2-1) he deserves to be a warm favourite. Fahey’s Magic (4) didn’t get a lot of clear galloping room in the heats and finished a close second to fastest qualifier, Dino Way. The Tyson Barton-trained runner is a 12-time winner from just 28 starts and has run 29.86 at Wenty Park and 29.57 at Richmond. Box 4 outside Magistrate and Dino Way doesn’t help though and she’d probably need to outjump that pair to win. Magic Secret (7) has experience on her side with 16 starts around the Casino circle for a handful of wins and some decent times (27.50 PB). Has knocked off the favourite here before and is well drawn out wide for Barbara Beach. It’d be a nice win for the locals if she got up. And Dino Way (2) won the fastest heat seven days ago for Mick Lalicz so has to be respected. The first section in the heats of 2.76 was his fastest in five goes at the track and he’d need to replicate that to be in with a show. Lalicz had Rapid Ripple and Suave Ripple in last year’s final and will be hoping to go a few better in this year’s race.
