Tim O’Connor has done the form for the meeting at Melton on September 18.
Race 1:
OVERVIEW: SHEER ME (3) has joined the Alex Ashwood stable following a couple of really encouraging runs and looks well placed to break her maiden in the opening event of the night. Last time at Kilmore, she worked to find the front and got little peace, but still boxed on extremely well to run third. Before that at Shepparton, she was trapped parked and only beaten 4.2m into third in a slick enough last half of 56.9. This looks very suitable and keen she goes close. KAIDENBOY (2) has had just the three starts and hasn’t been beaten far in two of them so is a definite danger, RETRO FIT (1) draws well and produced a career best fourth last time at Cranbourne behind a smart one in Twigstar, while THE FEENY FAVOURITE (6) and WHIRLY MAURZ (4) have had plenty of goes but are probably next best.
BACK: SHEER ME (3) – 3 units (win)
SELECTIONS: SHEER ME (3), KAIDENBOY (2), RETRO FIT (1), THE FEENY FAVOURITE (6)
Race 2:
OVERVIEW: Great battle between the Michael Stanley and Emma Stewart stables here, with SOHO TRUMP (1) favoured for the former. He won the Group 2 Vicbred Super Series final as a two-year-old in 2025 and sadly missed this year’s decider after a torrid run in the semi-finals. He was trapped parked there on a hot speed and dropped out late to finish ninth. He led and won a heat at Kilmore prior to that and looks the horse to beat after the kind barrier draw as he is expected to lead. Stewart’s SEASIDE BOY (4) ran well from a bad draw in his Vicbred heat at Kilmore but missed the semi-finals and is a smart pacer who has performed strongly in some good races at Melton this campaign, Stanley stablemate SOHO PARK AVENUE (9) was perhaps a bit plain in the semi but ran well from outside the leader in the first round of qualifiers and is a handy type, while Stewart’s LOWRIDER (11) and STAR VISION (6) are other contenders with the scratching of SOHO CHARMER (13).
SELECTIONS: SOHO TRUMP (1), SEASIDE BOY (4), SOHO PARK AVENUE (9), LOWRIDER (11)
Race 3:
OVERVIEW: Wide open Vicbred Silver final for the three-year-old fillies where you can make a case for quite a few, but CYCLONE JENNI (2) looks well placed to run a good race from gate two. She settled last in the heat at Kilmore but flew late to grab fourth and then had no chance from a bad barrier in the semi-finals. Her win at Cranbourne before the Vicbred series was electric and she’s a handy type on the way up. TRYX VIXEN (1) very rarely finds the pegs in her races but I have some time for her and she can be a sharp improver from gate one, ISTHISTHEREALLIFE (6) led and was only nabbed late for second in a strong race at Cranbourne on Sunday and was very good in the same heat as CYCLONE JENNI (2), which was won by HEAVENLY FLYER (5), who has a sticky gate this time around. ALOT LIKE JEANNIE (9) won a Vicbred qualifier before being well held in the semis behind Bettor Beach, but is a chance here along with GINGER ELLA (3), MEZZANOTTI (4) and HEAVENLY FLYER (5).
BACK: CYCLONE JENNI (2) – 2 units (win)
SELECTIONS: CYCLONE JENNI (2), TRYX VIXEN (1), ISTHISTHEREALLIFE (6), ALOT LIKE JEANNIE (9)
Race 4:
OVERVIEW: SOHO PIASTRI (1) looks the one to beat here from the good draw. Michael Stanley’s charge never found the fence in his Vicbred heat at Kilmore and missed a place in the semi-finals, but had won in dominant fashion from the front at Newcastle before that. He’s a winner of four from 13 and deserves to be the favourite in this Vicbred Bronze clash. BLAZING HIGH (8) dropped out of his Vicbred heat after a tough trip but absolutely bolted in last time at Penrith and draws to trail the likely favourite here, MASON JOLIE (9) ran well for third at Cranbourne before a midfield finish in his heat of the Vicbred and looks a legitimate danger, while MASTER LOUEY (3) has placed a close-up second his past two at Cranbourne and has the ability to figure.
SELECTIONS: SOHO PIASTRI (1), BLAZING HIGH (8), MASON JOLIE (9), MASTER LOUEY (3)
Race 5:
OVERVIEW: Not sure about the map in this clash, but I fancy ZANDA MAN (5) as a horse and think he has a bright future. He was caught parked in a strong race at Geelong last Friday but battled away to only be beaten 8.4m and I thought his first-up effort in a Vicbred heat from off the fence was good. He finished last campaign with a string of nice efforts, including a couple of Saturday night wins at Melton. Happy his way. BANJO STAR (9) raced roughly in his Vicbred heat, but his form over in Tasmania – including two wins and a tough second – is sound and he looks a promising type for Michael Breen, BINALONG MATE (1) sat parked for the last lap before only narrowly going down at Cranbourne on September 6 and has shown some good signs this preparation, while WARZONE (2) might have the speed to cross to the fence and from there would be a chance. He didn’t have much luck last time at Cranbourne when settling last, but his run before that was good and he won well leading at Ballarat on August 19. Other key runners include Sunday’s maiden winner KING BALDWIN (3), SOHO WASHINGTON (4) and HILLTONS SPIRIT (10).
SELECTIONS: ZANDA MAN (5), BANJO STAR (9), BINALONG MATE (1), WARZONE (2)
Race 6:
OVERVIEW: Tricky race to line up with a few first-starters, but BAYSTYLE (2) is an experienced two-year-old with good gate speed who is already a three-time winner this season. He ran well when second to Group 1 Vicbred winner Some High in the heats of that series and was then caught parked and dropped out understandably in the semis. If he can get to the fence, he’s a key player. CASTERTON (6) has had the one trial for a close-up second placing at Ballarat, but there was no vision of that effort. He hails from the powerhouse Emma Stewart barn which produces young horses to win on debut time and time again, so monitor market expectations. LACE AND LEATHER (5) was part of a hot lead time and did a great job to sprint again and score on debut, while stablemate EDGAR BROMAC (3) came from well back in that same race to run third in an encouraging display. Others are worth considering, including DISPERSION (8) who is on debut after a couple of okay trials and NSW visitor PASSION AND PAIN (1), a three-time winner, from gate one.
SELECTIONS: BAYSTYLE (2), CASTERTON (6), LACE AND LEATHER (5), EDGAR BROMAC (3)
Race 7:
OVERVIEW: MAJARO GIRL (10) bombed the start in the Group 1 Vicbred Super Series final for two-year-old trotting fillies last weekend but did a great job to finish sixth, albeit almost 35m from winner Kyvalley Dixon. She won a heat of the series prior to that and has improved nicely since joining the Andy Gath yard in June/July. She’s the youngest horse in this field, but there’s good scope there and she should give this a real shake. Fast-starter NIGHT FLIGHT (5) hasn’t raced for close to two months, but heads here on the back of two good runner-up placings and a nice trial win at Melton during the week, veteran BUSLIN BRODY (9) is always a chance in these types of races and must be respected at his best, while the lightly-raced ASPEN BELLE (6), who was outclassed in a Vicbred four-year-old trotting mares heat last time but has shown good signs this campaign, and the well-drawn SHES SKY HIGH (1) are contenders.
BACK: MAJARO GIRL (10) – 2 units (win)
SELECTIONS: MAJARO GIRL (10), NIGHT FLIGHT (5), BUSLIN BRODY (9), ASPEN BELLE (6)
Race 8:
OVERVIEW: BROADWAY OBSESSION (1) is first-up from a long break, but heads in on the back of a couple of good runner-up efforts at the Melton trials and draws to lead this assignment. Her first campaign reaped a win and second placing in a $20,000 Homegrown Classic, and there appears some good ability there. I like her chances. SOHO AMARYLLIS (3) won two races last preparation, made a late break first-up at Charlton and then just missed after a tough trip at Maryborough last time out. She’s got good ability, too. SWEET FLORABEL (7) was first past the post at Melton on August 28 but lost the race on protest, and while her manners are a cause for concern at this stage of her career, she looks to have a motor, while YOUVE BEEN SERVED (4) was disqualified after racing fiercely inside the pegs in her heat of the Vicbred series but has since trialled well at Maryborough.
BACK: BROADWAY OBSESSION (1) – 3 units (win)
SELECTIONS: BROADWAY OBSESSION (1), SOHO AMARYLLIS (3), SWEET FLORABEL (7), YOUVE BEEN SERVED (4)
Race 9:
OVERVIEW: DELS DESTINY (6) seems to always be running on late in his races without winning but strikes a small field and certainly appears to be going well enough to give this a real shake. He has raced in stronger grade for some time and been beaten less than 10m his last eight starts following a win in similar grade at Ballarat. He’s a safe trotter and it’s hard to see him not going close with the right trip. KENNYS SON (7) did everything right last time and won easily from the front, which followed two races where he made mistakes. It’s likely he will be driven aggressively, and from the front he would be very hard to catch. THATS MY CARDIGAN (5) is another of the gate speed runners who likes to race out in front and has won a couple of races in that role this campaign, while FLOATING MOUNTAIN (1) is certainly a winning chance given he hasn’t been far off the handy The Sky Is The Limit and Group 1 placegetter Hallebesofine in a couple of races in which he found the fence this preparation.
SELECTIONS: DELS DESTINY (6), KENNYS SON (7), THATS MY CARDIGAN (5), FLOATING MOUNTAIN (1)
Race 10:
OVERVIEW: TWIGSTAR (2) was just so impressive when winning on debut at Cranbourne on September 6 that I have to be in her corner again here despite taking on the might of the Emma Stewart stable. In that first career run, the daughter of Poster Boy sat back last and rounded up her rivals three wide for the last lap in a solid 56.9 last half. That’s hard to do at Cranbourne and there’s a good wrap on her from trainer Scott Ewen. Stewart-trained runner FARADY (1) was close-up in a recent trial during mid-August (no vision), draws well and is raced by top owner-breeders Bruce and Vicki Edward. Monitor the market, but she will likely be short and this stable just churns out winners for fun. They look the two key winning chances, with LARACHA (5) and MY CRYSTAL VISION (4) showing enough in recent trials to suggest they can run well on debut.
SELECTIONS: TWIGSTAR (2), FARADY (1), LARACHA (5), MY CRYSTAL VISION (4)
10-UNIT GAME PLAN
R1 #3 SHEER ME – 3 units (win)
R3 #2 CYCLONE JENNI – 2 units (win)
R7 #10 MAJARO GIRL – 2 units (win)
R8 #1 BROADWAY OBSESSION – 3 units (win)
EARLY QUADDIE
2,3/1,4,9/1,2,3,5,6,9/1,8,9
QUADDIE
1,2,3,4,5,9,10/2,3,5,6/5,10/1,3,7
For all your harness form in one place go to goodform.thetrots.com.au
** A betting unit is typically a percentage of the total bankroll or the amount of money you are willing to risk on a particular bet – for example 1 unit is 10% of your bankroll, therefore a $100 bankroll 1 unit equals $10
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