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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, March 30, 2011 - Page 49
Melbourne
Observer Victorian Sport
STICK WITH SEPOY
■ Despite being beaten into second place at Rosehill recently, Blue Diamond Stakes winner, Sepoy, is still the one to beat in the Golden Slipper in Sydney on April 2. The Son of Elusive Quality was all at sea on the heavy track at Rosehill, having his first start racing clockwise and wasn’t disgraced. He was only beaten .75 of a length by a smart youngster from the Anthony Cummings stable in Smart Missile. Sepoy’s trainer, Peter Snowden, was quite happy with the run especially on the heavy track and having his first go the reverse to Melbourne where he bolted way from his opposition in the Blue Diamond. Big punters have stuck with Sepoy and in the latest market on the Golden Slipper; he is $2.70, with his conqueror Smart Missile backed right in to $5.50. On the next line is another smart youngster, Foxwedge, also by Fastnet Rock who finished third to Smart Missile and Sepoy only a half neck away. He is being quoted at $8. On the next line is the filly Elite Falls prepared by John O’Shea, who got away with another of the early favorites Satin Shoes under the care of Clarrie Connors. Elite Falls is being quoted around the $ 9 mark, while Satin Shoes has lost ground at $11. The big drifter is the Magic Millions winner, Karuta Queen, who has got out to $15, after her surprise defeat in the Black Opal in Canberra after starting at long odds on. I feel if you stick with Sepoy, he will give you a good sight for your money especially if the track at Rosehill on the big day, is better than heavy.
Dates moved ■ The Racing Victoria Board has approved 570 race meetings for the 201112 season across the State. Central to the
Ted Ryan
meeting on Wednesday June 13, 2012 has been allocated to Caulfield. AFL Grand Final With the AFL Grand Final moving to the first Saturday in October this year, the Turnbull Stakes meeting at Flemington has been moved to Sunday October 2, 2011, whilst the Benalla and Bairnsdale Cups have been moved to Sunday September 25, 2011.
Ted Ryan talks racing with Denis Scanlan on the Pulse 94.7 radio every Friday morning dates in the continued expansion of Victorian racing into new timeslots with the introduction of night racing at Cranbourne and the development of a Thursday twilight circuit. The Thursday twilight circuit has been programmed from the first quarter of 2012 and will take in meetings at Ballarat (six), Seymour (two), Werribee (two), with Bendigo and Geelong racing once. As a second night venue, Cranbourne will complement the existing Moonee Valley night program and allow Victoria to showcase consistent Friday night racing from October through until April. To facilitate this expansion Sunday meetings previously held at Cranbourne during this period have been transferred to other country venues, mainly in rural Victoria. These meetings will replace Saturday country meetings in winter, which will not be programmed from August 2011 on, excluding the Swan Hill Carnival meeting on June 9, 2012. A total of 34 night meetings are programmed next season with the first of 18 at Moonee Valley on Friday September 30 and Cranbourne’s opening meeting is scheduled for October 14. Other highlights of Victoria’s 2011-12 race dates are. Country Stand
Alone Saturday – A Saturday in autumn 2012 has been earmarked as a country stand alone meeting pending an appropriate business case and concept. Ballarat, Mornington, and Bendigo are the clubs who remain in the tender process. Geelong Synthetic – the numbers of meetings programmed on the Geelong synthetic track has been increased from 27 to 32 to reduce the likelihood of transferred meetings and give certainty to trainers on the programming of races. Synthetic racing will finish three weeks earlier this year on September 16 and will recommence three weeks later than the current racing season on April 13, 2012. Mornington - Four metropolitan meetings have been allocated to the Melbourne Racing Club at Mornington. Meetings on Wednesday August 10, 2011, and AFL Grand Final day October 1, this year, join the Queen’s Birthday Monday with the Mornington Cup Day February 15, 2012, fixtures as those carrying full metropolitan status. Caulfield - The Easter weekend double header returns to Caulfield with a new meeting on Easter Monday April 9, 2012, joining the current Easter Saturday fixture. A new midweek
■ The team at Slickpix Photographics is jumping up and down after their very smart young filly; Very Cherry won her first race recently, and is starting to show her true potential. Placed in listed company at Flemington, she had been very unlucky in a number of her starts, being a little on the small side. But now the team is getting excited with leading trainer, Leon Corstens preparing her for the Queensland Oaks. She will stay all day being by the very good sire Annabaa from the Woodman mare, Woodie. From 10 starts she has saluted once with three seconds and a third. She is raced by the owners of Slickpix Brett and Ross Holburt, with a number of the villains who work there. The Slickpix people are Mark Gatt, Gary Wild and Sarah Jackson. Although they have only a small interest in part of her mane, they all love her. They are all part of the ‘Shangi Woodie’ syndicate managed by David Roe. Leon Corstens, his son Troy, and another leading trainer, John Sadler have all got a good opinion of the filly.
Observer Racing
Showbiz Extra ■ From Page 32
DVD Recommendations FILM: TOMMY: Genre: Musical/Drama/Fantasy. Cast: Roger Daltrey, AnnMargret, Oliver Reed, Jack Nicholson, Eric Clapton, Elton John. Year: 1975. Rating: M15+. Running Time: 111 Minutes. Format: DVD & BLU-RAY. Stars: *** Verdict: Wild, loud and typically over-thetop Ken Russell all-star-cast film of the rock opera Tommy by the rock group The Who of a psychosomatically deaf, dumb and blind boy who becomes a master pinball player and then becomes the object of a religious cult, full of many great, totally off-the-wall visuals and moments to the now classic ear thumping songs and music, Oliver Reed and Keith Moon's performances have to be seen to be believed, as well as Tina Turner as The Acid Queen, the Eric Clapton song "Eyesight to the Blind" on Marilyn Monroe and celebrity obsession is a standout, and gives a whole new meaning to baked beans, if you are looking for a South Pacific of The Sound of Music this is definitely not the one. - James Sherlock ■ From Page 32
Top 10 Lists HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE [2009/Fantasy/Adventure/Daniel Radcliffe]. DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID [1982/Comedy/Crime/Mystery/Steve Martin, Rachel Ward]. TRESPASS [1992/Action/Thriller/Bill Paxton, William Sadler, Ice-T]. THE COWBOY WAY [1994/Action/Comedy/ Woody Harrelson, Kiefer Sutherland]. NEW RELEASE DVD TV/DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS: LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE: Season 8 Part One. LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE: Season 8 Part Two. MURDER SHE WROTE: The Complete 12th Season. NEW TO MUSIC ON DVD: LES MISERABLES: The Musical Event of a Lifetime - In Concert - 25th Anniversary.
● Sepoy Photo by SLICKPIX, phone 9354 5754
● Very Cherry Photo by SLICKPIX, phone 9354 5754
TOP BLU-RAY SELLERS: 1. THE SOCIAL NETWORK [Drama/Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justine Timberlake]. 2. THE TOWN [Crime/Mystery/Thriller/Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Pete Postlethwaite]. 3. DUE DATE [Comedy/Robert Downey Jr, Zach Galifianakis, Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan]. 4. SKYLINE [Science Fiction/Thriller/Eric Balfour, Scottie Thompson]. 5. THE EXPENDABLES [Action/Thriller/ Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis]. 6. MACHETE [Action/Thriller/Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez]. 7. TOY STORY 3 [Animated/Family/Comedy/ Tom Hanks, Michael Keaton, Don Rickles]. 8. SAW: THE FINAL CHAPTER [Horror/ Thriller/Tobin Bell, Betsy Russell, Cary Elwes]. 9. THE GHOST WRITER [Mystery/Thriller/ Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGregor, Kim Cattrall]. 10. JACKASS 3 - Uncut [Comedy/Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera]. Also: Eat Pray Love, Resident Evil: Afterlife, The American, Buried, Mad Max, Inception, Paranormal Activity 2, Legend of the Guard ians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole [2D/DVD Combo Pack], The Girl Who Played With Fire, How to Train Your Dragon. NEW RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK: THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader [Fantasy/Adventure]. RED [Action/Comedy/Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Brian Cox, Ernest Borgnine].