Morphettville trainer Andrew Gluyas will have a strong hand in Monday’s Morphettville Guineas after filly stablemates Dirty Old Town and Freedom Flame fought out a thrilling finish to last Saturday’s banchmark 72 for three-year-olds over 1400 metres on the Parks track at Morphettville.
Dirty Old Town came from a midfield rails position under Jason Holder to defeat Freedom Flame, ridden by apprentice Taylor Johnstone. The Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray-trained gelding Bootlegger completed a blanket finish.
Dirty Old Town and Freedom Flame will clash again in the listed 1600 metre Morphettville Guineas on the Adelaide Cup card this Monday.
Dirty Old Town has now won three races (in a row) from six starts while Freedom Flame has had nine starts for one win, but it’s a good one — last spring’s listed Hill Smith Stakes (1800m).
Freedom Flame had 1.5kg less than Dirty Old Town after Johnstone’s claim last Saturday but they will meet on level terms in the Guineas.
Dirty Old Town is a daughter of former Group 2-winning sprinter Dirty Work, while Freedom Flame is by the classic influence Ghaiyyath, but Dirty Old Town won at his only 1600-metre start, so the Guineas distance won’t be a problem.
Chica impresses
Dual-state trainer Phillip Stokes unveiled another promising two-year-old when Toronado filly Chica Astuta ($4.80) made a winning debut in the Thomas Farms Two-Year-Old Plate (1000m) at the Parks meeting.
Stokes’s juvenile team is led by Group 2 Silver Slipper winner Stretan Ruler, one of the favourites for the Golden Slipper on March 21.
Chica Astuta, who came from the middle of the six-horse field to win by 1½ lengths under Jacob Opperman, is a sister to three-time Sydney-winning sprinter Spanish Fox.
Bryce breaks ice
Murray Bridge trainer Hannah Bryce celebrated her first win when Acappella Moon ($5) took out a 1250-metre Class 2 handicap on the Parks track. 
Guided to victory by Connor Murtagh, Acappella Moon came from midfield to score a strong win. It was the mare’s fifth run for Bryce, and followed second placings at Murray Bridge and Morphettville Parks.
She won two of 16 starts in the care of three Victorian stables before arriving at the Bridge.
’Man swoops to glory
Port Augusta trainer Kylie McKerlie was the toast of the Eyre Peninsula last Friday after her charge Excelman ($11) won the Port Lincoln Cup (1960m).
Bringing up a double for apprentice Tala Hutchinson, Excelman was last into the straight but came with a wide run to grab the Shayne and Chelsea Cahill-trained Just A Brother in the shadows of the post, with favourite Tyusix third.
Hutchinson landed the first leg of her double when the Garret Lynch-trained Explicable ($3.60 favourite) took out a benchmark 54 over 1750 metres.
Lynch completed a double of his own when Sairyn Fawke scored on Olive Baguette ($4.60) in 0-66 grade over 1200 metres. 
That made it a double for Fawke too, as he’d earlier won The Marina Hotel Benchmark 54 Handicap (1750m) on Muffla ($12) for Gawler’s Michael McClean.
Multi-tasker
Full marks to Racing.com form analyst John Kelton for calling the second race at Morphettville from a TV monitor. A fire alarm prevented caller Tim Edwards from being heard over the course PA.
Vale, Brian Searle
It was sad to hear of the death late last week of trainer Brian Searle. Searle’s best winner was Turkey Lane in the 1998 Great Eastern Steeplechase at Oakbank.