AT THE POST

Group 2 Triple M Bendigo Cup (425m) BENDIGO, 3 JULY 1st YOZO BALE

Breeding: Male Mar ’18 Fernando Bale x Purcell Bale Breeder/Owner: Janice Wheeler, Boorowa NSW Trainer: Correy Grenfell, Mount Wallace VIC First prize: $50,000 Odds: $11.60 Time: 23.88sec Margin: 0.39L 2nd: Tiggerlong Tonk 3rd: Shima Shine How the race was won: Yozo Bale (4) commenced well and staged a battle for the early lead with Slingshot Titan (3) before gaining the ascendancy turning for home. He then defied all attempts to run him down, narrowly defeating G2 Horsham Cup winner Tiggerlong Tonk ($4.80) and Shima Shine ($2.20F), who set a 23.35sec track record in a heat. G2 Shepparton Cup winner Hard Style Rico was close-up in fourth position. Yozo Bale clocked 23.88sec (Best) and notched his 12th win from 26 starts. It was also his fifth win from his past six starts.

Group 1 KCR Pet Transport Maturity Classic (525m)

THE MEADOWS, 25 JULY

1st SIMON TOLD HELEN

Breeding: Male Jan ’18 Barcia Bale x Who Told Lindylu Breeder/Owner: Emma’s Boys syndicate (Brian Parsons), Corio VIC Trainer: David Burnett, Little River VIC First prize: $100,000 Odds: $1.90F Time: 29.60sec (Best) Margin: 1.53L 2nd: Hard Style Rico 3rd: Tiggerlong Tonk How the race was won: Australia’s No. 1 sprinter Simon Told Helen (3) adopted his customary catch-me-if-you-can tactics in notching his fourth G1 win. Simon Told Helen ($1.90F) registered his 19th win from 30 starts defeating G2 Shepparton Cup winner Hard Style Rico ($5.20) by one and a half lengths, with G2 Horsham Cup winner Tiggerlong Tonk almost one and three-quarter lengths further away in 29.60sec (Best). It was his seventh win from his past nine starts and his seventh win in nine starts at The Meadows. Simon Told Helen’s 17.38sec second split was only 0.01sec off the 17.37sec record set by Fernando Bale in the 2015 Maturity Classic final.

Yozo Bale (4) charges to the early lead in the Bendigo Cup before holding off the highly fancied Tiggerlong Tonk (6) and make it a Grenfell quinella. Photo by: Clint Anderson.

Group 2 McKenna Memorial (595m)

SANDOWN PARK, 9 JULY

1st CHRISTO BALE

Breeding: Male Jan ’18 Barcia Bale x Houston Bale Breeder: Paul Wheeler, Murringo NSW Owner: Brendan Wheeler, VIC Trainer: Mark Delbridge, Balliang VIC First prize: $25,000 Odds: $4.00 Time: 33.86sec (Best) Margin: 4.97L 2nd: Last Hurrah 3rd: Wallbanger How the race was won: Christo Bale (3) and Last Hurrah (1) matched strides for the first 400m. But it was Christo Bale who forged away to defeat Last Hurrah ($4.50) by almost five lengths, with Wallbanger ($20.80) a further quarter of a length away third in 33.86sec (Best). The middle-distance revelation, who was having only his second 595m start, notched his 12th win from 26 starts. It was his fifth win from his past seven starts. He was also a finalist in the G1 Silver Chief (525m) at The Meadows.

Group 1 Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic (520m)

WENTWORTH PARK, 11 JULY

1st PLAYLIST

Breeding: Male May ’18 Aussie Infrared x Dundee Ally Breeder: Desmond Dooley Owner: Rock N Robbo sundicate (Louie Cardillo), Sale VIC Trainer: Matthew Clark, Briagolong VIC First prize: $75,000 Odds: $12.00 Time: 29.96sec Margin: 3.75L 2nd: Tommy Shelby 3rd: Simply Smudge How the race was won: Playlist (1) utilised his rails draw to perfection and emerged from his litter brother, Catch The Thief’s, illustrious shadow. Starting at $12.00, Playlist scored a comfortable three and three-quarter length win over WA star Tommy Shelby ($2.50F), with rank outsider Simply Smudge ($101.00) a further half-length away third in 29.96sec. Catch The Thief ($4.40) was four and three-quarter lengths away fourth. Playlist snared his ninth win from 20 starts. The ‘box one bandit’ also notched his fourth win in five starts from the ‘red’ alley.

Christo Bale opened up his group race account when taking out the McKenna Memorial.