Winter Racing at Headquarters

Winter racing heads to Flemington on Saturday where the in-form apprentice Jake Bayliss partners both of our runners, Rhythm To Spare and War Legend.

Scratched last Saturday having suffered from a foot abscess, Rhythm To Spare has struck a most suitable race with the Brian Beattie Handicap attracting only eight runners.

Drawn to get a good run from the inside gate, Rhythm To Spare is back a little in distance from his most recent assignment but is also down in class having been close up behind Tonopah and Prince Of Penzance in the Gr.3 R.A Lee Cup at Morphettville last month.

"The 1400m may be a tad short for him," Michael Moroney admitted, "but the rain we have had here really suits him and brings him right into calculations."

The sting out of the track will also suit War Legend (pictured) who contests the following race, the Western Otway Handicap.

Impressive saluting at Sandown three weeks ago, the promising three-year-old rises in weight but he has "trained on well" and Jake's claim is a great help.

"The favourite (Euro Angel) meets us well on weights but she has drawn out whereas our boy has drawn better (gate 6) than he did last time."

"We cannot fault him and he should again prove hard to beat."

The talented Jackpot resumes in the Club Officer Handicap at Pakenham on Sunday and we are expecting a forward showing from the lightly raced four-year-old.

"We have been really happy with him," said Moroney, "he has come back in good order and on his recent jump-out he should run really well."

To Echuca on Monday where we have two runners, the first of whom is the debutant Karpacz who lines up in the fourth race, a 1400m maiden.

The son of Danzero, described by Moroney as "a nice horse," has been scratched a couple of times from bad gates but has drawn well in barrier two and from what he has shown at home he will be "hard to beat."

Meanwhile we are expecting improvement from Golden Coin in the 2100m handicap, the son of Tavistock crying out for the distance rise on the back of a couple of handy runs over a mile.