Saturday’s J.J Liston Stakes is sure to be closely watched by many punters, especially those keen on Cox Plate favourite Whobegotyou. The star three year old is the big name heading into the race, but he is not without competition. 7 year old Caufield Cup winner Master O’Reilly has been nominated, and so has the unbeaten Typhoon Tracy both with some great racing behind them.
New Zealand horses dominate the field, with 10 of the 23 entries coming from across the Tasman. Master O’Reilly, Zarita and Orange County head the Kiwi attack, with other group 1 winners Mr. Baritone and Ista Kareem not far behind.
But the Australian horses are not without hope. The brilliant Whobegotyou looks our best chance, but a change of jockey may prove costly. Although having Damien Oliver on board is far from a disadvantage, he has only ridden the star once, and punters would have been feeling a lot more confident if Michael Rodd was still riding.
Another group 1 winner to look out for is Gallica. While recent experiments over a longer distance have failed, the mare has had excellent form over 1600m races, which will hopefully transfer to Saturday’s 1400m race.
The New Zealand mare Zarita has not won a race since April 2008 and although she has been unlucky is probably not worth the risk if she gets a run. Master O’Reilly also looks past his use-by-date, and has not won below 1700m.
One to watch for is Fifth Avenue Lady. The 5 year old mare has placed in her past 6 starts, and won 3 of them, including the group 3 Patinack Farm Stakes. She is an expert over middle distance races such as this.
Shadowed by the recent retirement of his brother, Takeover Target, 4 year old Predatory Pricer will be looking to make a few headlines of his own. While he has only won three races, and none since September 2008, Predatory Pricer has impressed in both the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the AJC Australian Derby.
I think Whobegotyou will be too strong, but Gallica and Fifth Avenue Lady will be two to watch out for and worth a place bet. Checkout Australia’s leading horse racing bookmaker IASbet for the latest odd for the big race.
My Tips for the 2009 J.J Liston Stakes
15- Whobegotyou
20- Fifth Avenue Lady
4- Orange County
21- Gallica
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