Susie Suited By Longer Showcase
Story By by Gary Crispe
Thursday, 23 October 2008:  | | Robert Smerdon |
Although based at Caulfield, Ballarat is a second home for Smerdon and he looks to have found a nice race for the mare in this RB68 rated handicap.
Formerly with Darren Weir, Susie Jane came to the stable following a long spell where she was tested up to 2000m last time in without success.
She kicked off over 1200m on the Geelong ThoroughTrack and was caught deep from her wide gate, settling midfield.
From there she moved up wider around the bend and ran home steadily to finish fifth, beaten 4.1 lengths, behind Murchadha.
Returning to Geelong on the same track, class and distance she jumped well and was just off the speed early before drifting back to worse than midfield.
She was blocked for clear running in the straight but once clear worked home strongly to finish fourth, beaten 2.8 lengths, behind Court's Orders.
She put the writing on the wall in that race and didn't disappoint last start when stepping up to 1300m, again on the ThoroughTrack at Geelong.
After drifting back and settling midfield, she moved up out wider rounding the bend and hit the line hard, scoring a length win over Billecart and returning a 12 month high rating.
Today the mare rises to an RB68 but actually meets a field rated over a length easier.
She has a big weight but is fitter again and even better suited over the longer journey.
From barrier one she should be camped just off the speed but with clear running in the straight looks hard to hold out.
Jockey Ben Melham has had a good recent run for the stable, including a string of wins on Light Vision and a game fourth on that galloper in yesterday's Geelong Cup.
He has stuck with the mare today and the pair look the hard and fit combination who should be hard to beat.
The class runner in the race is the Robbie Griffiths-trained Tuscan Image, who resumes today from a spell.
The mare scored here over the same trip second-up last campaign, before finishing sixth over a mile at Moonee Valley when coming from well back.
She then ran fourth over 1600m in this class at Sandown Hillside with a big weight before running fifth over 1600m at Moonee Valley.
She returned there for an open three-year-old race and was honest again, finishing sixth but not beaten far.
At her last run before a spell, she stepped up to 2100m at Sandown Lakeside in a tougher race and worked home steadily to finish fifth, beaten 3.5 lengths, behind All About Annie.
Although yet to win both her fresh-up runs have been sound and she looks well placed in this moderate race today.
She has won her only start at the track and distance and should be running on strongly.
The Peter Snowden-trained Deutsche is fitter for two runs from a spell and will find this easier than last start.
The Quest For Fame filly was a debut winner over 1220m at Cranbourne in heavy ground then went for a spell.
She returned with a luckless sixth in this grade over 1107m at Kilmore before stepping up to 1203m at Geelong where she was disappointing, dropping out in the straight after sitting off the speed and coming in at the tail behind Lodore Falls.
She is obviously much better than that and meets a field rated several lengths easier this time.
Deutsche is fitter, suited by the longer trip and in this small field it wouldn't surprise to see her bounce back.
The topweight Halogen is a two-time winner, scoring over 1750m in maiden grade before winning two starts later over 1900m at Geelong on the ThoroughTrack.
She was then tested over further in tougher grade but ran well below her best before a spell.
The Brian Mayfield Smith mare, a daughter of Helissio, looks well placed over this journey fresh-up and should sprint well.
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