Rob and Paul's Racing Tips
WEEKEND HUSTLER
Weekend Hussler claims Caulfield Guineas
October 13, 2007 - 5:27PMSource: ABC
Strong performer ... Weekend Hussler, ridden by Brad Rawiller, wins the Caulfield Guineas
Photo: Getty Images
Weekend Hussler stormed home in a stellar run to win the $1 million Group One Caulfield Guineas in Melbourne today.
The three-year-old gelding, earmarked as a star for the future, blitzed the field to claim the race meeting's major prize.
Earlier, five-year-old Maldivian upstaged Cox Plate favourite Miss Finland to win the Group One Yalumba Stakes.
Ridden by jockey Michael Rodd, Maldivian should now line up at next week's $2.5 million Caulfield Cup as the favourite.
Divine Madonna wins Toorak Handicap
13/10/2007 6:32 PM
Trainer Mark Kavanagh and jockey Michael Rodd make it back-to-back Group One wins at Caulfield on Saturday when Divine Madonna stormed come to claim the Toorak Handicap.
Kavanagh and Rodd had earlier combined with Maldivian to take out the Yalumba Stakes and Divine Madonna scored her third win at the elite level when she finished fast to beat Niconero and Wonderful World.
It was the five-year-old mare's first win at Caulfield.
Rodd had attracted criticism for his ride on Divine Madonna when she was a fast-finishing fifth to Bon Hoffa in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 22 but rode her to perfection in Saturday's 1600m feature.
He settled her last of the 10 runners until approaching the home turn where the Bart Cummings-trained Wonderful World had taken the lead.
Rodd eased her to the outside in the straight and she ran home much too well for her rivals.
"This is probably one of my best (days) on a racetrack," Kavanagh said.
"He (Rodd) rode it terrific today."
Hoffa survives protest for Rupert Clarke
22/09/2007 7:04 PM
By Robert Windmill
The scene was the same at Caulfield and syndicator Ken King feared the result would be too when the siren sounded to signal that a protest had been fired in against Bon Hoffa winning Saturday's Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
King knows only too well the highs that racing can bring, but also the bitter disappointments after he was part-owner of Skalato who was disqualified after returning a positive to a prohibitive substance following his win in the Group One Caulfield Guineas seven years ago.
"I was just sitting there hoping history wasn't repeating itself," King said recalling the Caulfield Guineas that got away.
"We won it then lost it and I was hoping it wasn't happening again."
Banned substances weren't the worry this time but Bon Hoffa's abrupt shift towards the rail which hampered second-placed Niconero near the 200 metres.
Jockey Brad Rawiller said he had to take hold of the David Hayes-trained six-year-old who lost his momentum when caught on the heels of Bon Hoffa for three strides.
Hayes said Bon Hoffa "shifted in substantially to take our run", but Wendy Kelly, defending her first Group One success in 10 years as a trainer, countered that Rawiller never stopped riding Niconero.
The stewards agreed there was a shift but the interference wasn't enough to warrant a three-quarter length winning margin being overturned in favour of Niconero, much to King's relief and the relief of the army of Bon Hoffa's other owners.
Vlad Duric, who also celebrated his first Group One win on Bon Hoffa, flourishing his whip just after the winning post, has enjoyed a magnificent partnership with Kelly with the combination enjoying a strike rate in excess of 27 per cent.
Kelly was thrilled and struggled to speak as she was overcome with emotion as she led Bon Hoffa and Duric into the winner's stall.
"It is the best feeling in the world," Kelly said.
"I was as confident as you could be with a Group One and coming into a race against the best horses."
Not that Kelly has had that much experience with Group One races, in fact Bon Hoffa was her first starter at the elite level.
Last start the five-year-old gave Kelly her most important win when he landed the Group Three Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) at Flemington on September 8.
Significantly, since 1975 only two horses have won the Bobbie Lewis and Sir Rupert Clarke double, the most recent Magari in 1982, a year after Soldier Of Fortune.
King has had horses with Kelly since 2003 when he syndicated Bronc who turned out to be Kelly's first Group-placed horse when third to Abdullah in the Group Three L'Oreal Plate (1200m) at Flemington on Derby Day.
King's only Group One win before Saturday was Rinky Dink who, trained by Rick Hore-Lacy, won the 2004 Australasian Oaks in Adelaide but Saturday's victory was even more satisfying as Bon Hoffa, who cost $60,000, was among the first crop of horses he bought for syndication.
"It is nice closure to win a race like this with him," King said.
"It is just fantastic.
"I can't praise Wendy enough and I can't praise Vlad enough."
Rob picked 1 winner (Bon Hova)
Paul picked 1 winner 1 Third
Punter's Table
Paul 7 points (2 wins, 1 third)
Rob 6 points (2 wins)
Balance $53.00
Weekend Hussler claims Caulfield Guineas
October 13, 2007 - 5:27PMSource: ABC
Strong performer ... Weekend Hussler, ridden by Brad Rawiller, wins the Caulfield Guineas
Photo: Getty Images
Weekend Hussler stormed home in a stellar run to win the $1 million Group One Caulfield Guineas in Melbourne today.
The three-year-old gelding, earmarked as a star for the future, blitzed the field to claim the race meeting's major prize.
Earlier, five-year-old Maldivian upstaged Cox Plate favourite Miss Finland to win the Group One Yalumba Stakes.
Ridden by jockey Michael Rodd, Maldivian should now line up at next week's $2.5 million Caulfield Cup as the favourite.
Caulfield 13th October 2007
Balance $100.45
Paul picked two winners Gamble me and Gold Edition
Rob picked one winner Storm signal and one quinella
Punters table
Paul 23 pts
Rob 21pts
Divine Madonna wins Toorak Handicap
13/10/2007 6:32 PM
Trainer Mark Kavanagh and jockey Michael Rodd make it back-to-back Group One wins at Caulfield on Saturday when Divine Madonna stormed come to claim the Toorak Handicap.
Kavanagh and Rodd had earlier combined with Maldivian to take out the Yalumba Stakes and Divine Madonna scored her third win at the elite level when she finished fast to beat Niconero and Wonderful World.
It was the five-year-old mare's first win at Caulfield.
Rodd had attracted criticism for his ride on Divine Madonna when she was a fast-finishing fifth to Bon Hoffa in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 22 but rode her to perfection in Saturday's 1600m feature.
He settled her last of the 10 runners until approaching the home turn where the Bart Cummings-trained Wonderful World had taken the lead.
Rodd eased her to the outside in the straight and she ran home much too well for her rivals.
"This is probably one of my best (days) on a racetrack," Kavanagh said.
"He (Rodd) rode it terrific today."
Flemington 6th October 2007
One third placing
Balance $78.00
Punters table
Paul 17pts
Rob 14pts
Caulfield September 22nd 2007>
Punter paul uses his 'magic' gambling formula and it pays off
Paul scores bigtime in Race 4 Scweppes Thousand Guineas with No. 9 Gabbidon collected $90.20 from $2 each way bet
also Bon Hova again gives the Punter's Club another win
Balance $132.80
Punter's Table
Paul 17pts (5 wins 2 thirds)
Rob 13pts (4 wins 1 third)
Hoffa survives protest for Rupert Clarke
22/09/2007 7:04 PM
By Robert Windmill
The scene was the same at Caulfield and syndicator Ken King feared the result would be too when the siren sounded to signal that a protest had been fired in against Bon Hoffa winning Saturday's Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
King knows only too well the highs that racing can bring, but also the bitter disappointments after he was part-owner of Skalato who was disqualified after returning a positive to a prohibitive substance following his win in the Group One Caulfield Guineas seven years ago.
"I was just sitting there hoping history wasn't repeating itself," King said recalling the Caulfield Guineas that got away.
"We won it then lost it and I was hoping it wasn't happening again."
Banned substances weren't the worry this time but Bon Hoffa's abrupt shift towards the rail which hampered second-placed Niconero near the 200 metres.
Jockey Brad Rawiller said he had to take hold of the David Hayes-trained six-year-old who lost his momentum when caught on the heels of Bon Hoffa for three strides.
Hayes said Bon Hoffa "shifted in substantially to take our run", but Wendy Kelly, defending her first Group One success in 10 years as a trainer, countered that Rawiller never stopped riding Niconero.
The stewards agreed there was a shift but the interference wasn't enough to warrant a three-quarter length winning margin being overturned in favour of Niconero, much to King's relief and the relief of the army of Bon Hoffa's other owners.
Vlad Duric, who also celebrated his first Group One win on Bon Hoffa, flourishing his whip just after the winning post, has enjoyed a magnificent partnership with Kelly with the combination enjoying a strike rate in excess of 27 per cent.
Kelly was thrilled and struggled to speak as she was overcome with emotion as she led Bon Hoffa and Duric into the winner's stall.
"It is the best feeling in the world," Kelly said.
"I was as confident as you could be with a Group One and coming into a race against the best horses."
Not that Kelly has had that much experience with Group One races, in fact Bon Hoffa was her first starter at the elite level.
Last start the five-year-old gave Kelly her most important win when he landed the Group Three Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) at Flemington on September 8.
Significantly, since 1975 only two horses have won the Bobbie Lewis and Sir Rupert Clarke double, the most recent Magari in 1982, a year after Soldier Of Fortune.
King has had horses with Kelly since 2003 when he syndicated Bronc who turned out to be Kelly's first Group-placed horse when third to Abdullah in the Group Three L'Oreal Plate (1200m) at Flemington on Derby Day.
King's only Group One win before Saturday was Rinky Dink who, trained by Rick Hore-Lacy, won the 2004 Australasian Oaks in Adelaide but Saturday's victory was even more satisfying as Bon Hoffa, who cost $60,000, was among the first crop of horses he bought for syndication.
"It is nice closure to win a race like this with him," King said.
"It is just fantastic.
"I can't praise Wendy enough and I can't praise Vlad enough."
Moonee Valley Races 15th September 2007
no winners............no grinners
Balance $83.00
Punter's Premiership
Paul 7 pts (2 wins 1 third)
Rob 6pts (2 wins)
Flemington Races 8th September 2007
Rob picked 1 winner (Bon Hova)
Paul picked 1 winner 1 Third
Punter's Table
Paul 7 points (2 wins, 1 third)
Rob 6 points (2 wins)
Balance $53.00