The market has it as a match race in four between Alligator Blood, Alabama Express, Catalyst and Chenier. I’m inclined to agree as they are all top class three-year-old colts and geldings, but it’s not my sort of race. Alligator Blood’s head is way out of control, even with two strappers. Alabama Express has the stallion chain on out the back and is salivating with the tongue tie and bubble cheeker in the yard, but is probably OK. Catalyst has head problems too, with the strapper employing little tugs and I didn’t see Chenier until the jockey is up and the horse is flaring his nostrils and showing me teeth with his head up. No rules need to be broken here! Alligator Blood streets them at $1.30 for the place.
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- Alabama Express
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- Alligator Blood
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- Catalyst
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- Chenier
I had two bets for the day. I liked Gai’s two-year old Vangelic in the red ear muffs, with two strappers and no faults. The jockey made the strange decision to put the horse in the middle of the pack from a wide barrier. It got squeezed out at the 300 but recovered a little to run on quite well. That jockey should be lynched. In the mares I again liked the relaxed Mamzelle Tess who always stands out in a field like this. She ran her usual honest race for second and a nice $2.70. Even nicer was my 10% Tabcorp multiplier!
Geoffrey,
Did Catalyst have head problems in addition to tugging? Tugging on its own is a positive (+13).
I quite like to see a handler with a loose rein (almost as if the horse is walking round of its own volition) rather than a tighter hold as shown in your photo.
Yes, tossing its head around a bit which occasionally required the use of two hands as in the photo. A loose rein is most excellent!