European import Christmas ($3.50) registered his second Australian win for trainer Paul Preusker last Sunday, taking out the 2350-metre highweight benchmark 58 at Warrnambool.
The gelded son of Machiavellian sire Palace Episode was given an excellent ride by jumps jockey Will Gordon, moving into the race in the three-wide line before the turn and finishing too well.
Preusker’s seven-year-old had been sound in three runs to date this campaign. He appreciated the soft ground at Warrnambool and getting home in the right part of the track.
Christmas’s second local win, his first since blitzing his rivals on heavy ground at Geelong in June last year, came at his 14th Australian start. We can stick with this runner if he finds heavy going later in his preparation.
Peter Chow’s galloper No Matter What ($7) has a hard-luck story to tell from the race and is another to throw in the black book for next start.
Follow that Flirt
Simon Gebert’s consistent mare What A Flirt is another Wimmera galloper to follow after notching a deserved second win at Casterton recently, backing up a strong performance at Swan Hill over the June long weekend.
The four-year-old daughter of Starcraft made many lengths in the run home over 1200 metres on that occasion, putting the writing on the wall for her latest success over 1400 metres, again strong in the concluding stages.
Jockey Will Gordon had to shake his mare up before the home turn at Casterton, a truly run race exposing some rivals late as the Horsham-trained $4.40 favourite was able to finish over the top in the highweight benchmark 58.
The lightly raced galloper can continue to improve over more ground this preparation, and is worth following as she steps up in grade next start.
After three unplaced runs to begin her career, Gebert’s mare has two wons and five minor placings from her past seven starts.
Is good
Saturday racing returns to Donald this weekend.