BOOKIES SPOT ON WHEN THEY GAMBLED AGAINST I AM INVINCIBLE IN THE BLETCHINGLY
PUNTERS had a horror start to the new racing season when the Group 3 features on Saturday - the BLETCHINGLY at Caulfield and MEMSIE STAKES at Rosehill - were won in major upsets by LETS GO THOMMO and TEASING.
Nine-year-old LETS GO THOMMO, a $21 chance, made some top sprinters look second rate in the $125,000 weight-for-age Bletchingly. He proved too strong first-up for Orange County, the best backed in the race from $6.50 to $5.
Bookies were spot on when they took a massive gamble with favorite, I AM INVINCIBLE, which blew alarmingly from $2.20 to $2.90 and after leading dropped out to beat only one home. The club vet reported that the horse had pulled up lame but trainer Peter Morgan questioned that assessment on Sunday morning.
"I can't fault him this morning. He's good in his action and is bucking his brand off. He didn't choke down but certainly pulled up stressed after the race. We'll have his blood taken this week and check him out," Morgan said.
The Bletchingly nightmare continued for jockey Darren Gauci, who rode I Am Invincible. A year earlier he was aboard the odds-on favorite, Tesbury Jack, which flopped badly in the Bletchingly.
Former West Australian Let's Go Thommo shocked even trainer Mark Zahra with the ease of his first-up win. "He usually doesn't settle that well fresh. He's a bit of an ugly duckling but his heart and will to win come through every time."
Zahra has just entered into a new training partnership with his cousin, Matt Ellerton and the plan is to eventually step Let Go Thommo up to 1400m. His next goal could be the Liston or the Memsie Stakes.
WIN BY TEASING ESPECIALLY SATISFYING FOR TRAINER TIM MARTIN
TEASING, a $19 chance, responded to a 'cold' Chris Munce ride to win the $125,000 weight-forage Missile. She stormed home to overhaul Gold Trail, $17, which looked certain to score first-up after dashing clear at the 200m mark. Typhoon Zed, $5.50, a more fancied stablemate of the winner, battled on well for third.
The G3 win was especially satisfying for trainer Tim Martin. Teasing's owner, Ted King, died just before the mare ran a close fourth in the Grafton Ramornie. "Ted and his wife, Colleen, have been long-time stable clients," Martin said. "They have been with me since I started out in Walcha in the late 80s."
The heavily-backed $2.80 favorite, DREAMSCAPE, from the Gai Waterhouse stable was out of business when unable to lead and dropped out to finish seventh.
Martin thinks Teasing is an under-rated mare. "She fractured a knee before she ever raced then had another setback last year. Most owners would have given up but after this win she will not now go to stud this year."
The reason some top fancies raced below expectations in the two feature races on Saturday has been put down to the fact that some runners are at the tail end of winter campaigns and others are just starting out heading to the spring and not fully wound up.
THE BOTTOM LINE FOR THE PUNTERS - HOW THE FAVORITES FARED ON SATURDAY
CAULFIELD
ONLY ONE FAVORITE IN EIGHT RACES WAS SUCCESSFUL - RED BUTTONS at $3.90.
LONGEST PRICED WINNER: LETS GO THOMMO AT $21.
ROSEHILL
THREE FAVORITES SUCCESSFUL IN EIGHT RACES - VOICE COACH at $2.15. STRAT'S FLYER - $2. SWIFT ALLIANCE - $3.
LONGEST PRICED WINNER: TEASING at $19 but there were three others at DOUBLE FIGURE ODDS.
