head-to-head
Head to Head - 2000m, Flemington
Welcome to the first edition of the 'Head to Head' series, where every opinion is different and every opinion counts.
We have wasted no time bringing together the best West Australian horses of the modern decade.
2000m - Flemington - Good 3
| 1. Northerly | Fred Kersley/Patrick Payne | 61kg | 11 |
| 2. Scenic Shot | Dan Morton/Shane Scriven | 59kg | 1 |
| 3. Old Comrade | Paul Harvey/Lindsey Smith | 57.5kg | 4 |
| 4. Rogan Josh | John Marshall/Bart Cummings | 57kg | 10 |
| 5. Starstruck | Mark Miller/ Kaye Miller | 56kg | 2 |
| 6. Beaux Art | David Taggart/Colin Webster | 55.5kg | 3 |
| 7. Heroicity | Lee Freedman/ Damien Oliver | 55.5kg | 8 |
| 8. Mr Moet | Adam Durrant / Daniel Staek | 55.kg | 13 |
| 9. Crying | Game Danny Miller Snr/Angela Johnson | 55kg | 17 |
| 10. Playing God | Neville Parnham/Steven Parnham | 55kg | 16 |
| 11. Lords | Ransom William Pike/Adam Durrant | 55kg | 12 |
| 12. Guyno | Jason Whiting/Lou Luciani | 54kg | 5 |
| 13. Black Tom | Peter Hall/Frank Maynard | 53kg | 6 |
| 14. Dreamaway | Troy Turner/Grant Williams | 52kg | 7 |
| 15. Cats Fun | Mark Zahra/Michael Grant | 51kg | 9 |
| 16. Western Jewel | Kyra Yuill/Grant Williams | 51kg | 14 |
| 17. Guest Wing | Brad Parnham/Shane Edwards | 49kg | 15 |
1. Northerly (Serheed - North Bell)
2000m: 11 Starts: 6-3-1
Flemington 2000m: 6 Starts: 4-1-0
Comment: This horses is a champion with nine Group 1s and loves the 2000m. Multiple WFA winner including two Cox Plates and two Australian Cups. Can carry weight and win - as shown in the Caulfield Cup carrying 58kg, but is 61kg too much?
2. Scenic Shot (Scenic - Sweepshot)
2000m: 14 Starts: 3-1-1
Flemington 2000m: 10 Starts: 1-1-1
Comment: Tough campaigner, always tries his heart out. Multiple WFA winner including two Doomben Cups and a Mackinnon Stakes amongst his many Group/Listed wins. Maybe one to watch.
3. Old Comrade (Old Spice - Belgravia)
2000m: 1 Start: 1-0-0
Flemington 2000m: 1 Start: 1-0-0
Comment: The only horse to beat Northerly at the Flemington 2000m. Carrying 3.5kg less than Northerly in this race. A good WFA horse and Flemington suits his style of racing. Will feature.
4. Rogan Josh (Old Spice - Eastern Mystique)
2000m: 1 Start: 1-0-0
Flemington 2000m: 1 Start: 1-0-0
Comment: WA's best two-miler in the past 20-25 years. Is a Group 1 WFA winner with a fantastic win in the Mackinnon Stakes in very quick time. Only query is the drop in distance to 2000m which he has won at, but it's not his suitable distance. Is a place chance however if the pace is hot then he could out-stay them all.....
5. Starstruck (Haulpak - Colour Me Red)
2000m: 7 Starts: 2-0-1
Flemington 2000m: 8 Starts: 1-2-2
Comment: Bunbury Cup and Pinjarra Cup winner along with a WFA win in the Australian Cup. Distance no problem. Can feature, prehaps a smoky?.
6. Beaux Art (Nomrood - Ballyman's Girl)
2000m: 4 Starts: 0-1-0
Flemington 2000m: 3 Starts: 0-1-0
Comment: Tough mare, tough stayer. Can place as shown in a 2nd placing in the Turnbull Stakes. Against others in this field though - it could be tough. Add in trifecta's and quarterts.
7. Heroictiy (Cheraw - Fleeting World)
2000m: 5 Starts: 0-1-0
Flemington 2000m: 4 Starts: 0-0-0
Comment: Tough stayer, and 2000m might not suit. Will find others a bit more nippy over the 2000m. Look to flash home late - place chance only at best.
8. Mr Moet (Mosayter - Marklock Miss)
2000m: 3 Starts: 1-0-0
Flemington 2000m: 1 Start: 0-0-0
Comment: Classy galloper with wins in the Railway Stakes and C.B Cox Stakes. Distance is not an issue - won the Group 3 Strickland Stakes at WFA. Place chance at best - look for him coming home late in the Flemington straight. Could be another smoky to keep an eye on?
9. Crying Game (Warring Nations - Harka)
2000m: 5 Starts: 0-0-0
Flemington 2000m: 0 Starts: 0-0-0
Comment: WA Derby winner and Perth Cup winner. This distance looks a bit short. Looking to others.
10. Playing God (Blackfriars - Dolly Will Do)
2000m: 3 Starts: 0-0-3
Flemington 2000m: 6 Starts: 0-0-3
Comment: Multiple WFA winner who placed in some of the top middle distance races in the eastern states. However he has shown that he does struggle to run out 2000m and against others in this field he may well do this again. At best place chance. Have in trifecta's and quartets.
11. Lords Ransom (Jeune - Palace Alice)
2000m: 5 Starts: 2-0-0
Flemington 2000m: 0 Starts: 0-0-0
Comment: Has won two Bunbury Cups and two Pinjarra Cups, a Perth Cup and a Cox Stakes. Has won at the 2000m distance but will find it tough against others in this field. Looking elsewhere.
12. Guyno (O'Reilly - River Century)
2000m: 4 Starts: 0-0-0
Flemington 2000m: 4 Starts: 0-0-0
Comment: Guyno is the only Perth Cup winner in 15-20 years to win a Group or Listed (Black Type) race in the eastern states. Will be difficult to feature in this race - 2000m not suitable. Not for me.
13. Black Tom (Langfuhr - Narmada)
2000m: 2 Starts: 0-0-1
Flemington 2000m: 0 Starts: 0-0-0
Comment. Tough stayer who needs further to excel. Looking elsewhere.
14. Dreamaway (More Than Ready - Legal Consent)
2000m: 2 Starts: 0-0-0
Flemington 2000m: 0 Starts: 0-0-0
Comment: Not good enough in this type of field. Needs further. Not for me.
15. Cat's Fun (Catbird - She's Zeel)
2000m: 1 Start: 0-0-0
Flemington 2000m: 0 Starts: 0-0-0
Comment: Perth Cup winner who needs further to excel - distance too short. Will struggle.
16. Western Jewel (Jeune - Our Millster)
2000m: 1 Start: 0-0-0
Flemington 2000m: 0 Starts: 0-0-0
Comment: Perth Cup winner who needs further to show best form. Not suited to the 2000m - not good enough. Look at others.
17. Guest Wing (Right Wing - Lacienne)
2000m: 4 Starts: 0-1-2
Flemington 2000m: 0 Starts: 0-0-0
Comment: 2011 Perth Cup winner who broke a two year drought when he saluted the judge on April 13 2013 carrying 62.5kg at Yalgoo and then made it back-to-back wins seven days later on April 20 2013 carrying 63.5kg. Has the luxury weight of 49kg - but that's the only advantage that he has. Not good enough in a field like this. Looking elsewhere.
Selections
Old Comrade - 1st
Looks the best weighted horse, loves the 2000m and has beaten Northerly at the track and at the distance. Has class written all over him.
Northerly - 2nd
Best horse clearly in this field but 61kg does make it a tad tough. The old saying goes "Weight stops trains" and it just might stop Northerly. Would be a mighty effort if he was to win and not surprised at all if he did.
Scenic Shot - 3rd
Tough-as-nails horse who has won at the track and distance and has a tough of class about him. Will be there abouts.
Rogan Josh - 4th
The only question mark I have is the 2000m. It's not a suitable distance but he has won at the track and distance under WFA conditions and if the pace is hot upfront, then his two-mile form will help him to out-stay them
all.
*Roughie - Mr Moet*
Classy galloper who could do some damage if conditions suit. There could be some speed up front and this will help his cause. The long Flemington straight is ideal for him and he will be winding up and hopefully running on. Mr Moet is the best of the roughies in my opinion.
30 Comments | 1 decade ago
Recent Comments
RIO 08 May | Posts: 14798
Good points Chelsea, i looked at it last night and you then forgot to post about it. Rogan Josh Old Comrade Mr Moet Northerly I feel the weight would just be too much for Northerly to hold on, but he would set a cracking pace trying to string them all...
Chelsea 08 May | Posts: 1291
1 Beau Art 2 Northerly 3(and a distant 3rd at that) Scenic Shot. There is no way that Northerly would beat Beau Art giving it 5.5kg on a good track.Beau Arts unplaced Flemington runs were both on quagmire rated tracks. And yes Beau Arts trainer David Edwar...
PC 07 May | Posts: 1936
Thanks Rio
RIO 07 May | Posts: 14798
just to add to PC points. If you have a better head to head..tell him about it..this full race concept is better than just two nominated horses. So if you want a WFA 1200m at Ascot, throw up the horses and their ages that you want it run at..PC will get all...
rompz 07 May | Posts: 206
Plastered get a run? was my thought also but northerly was just a tough out and out champ he wins no doubt
Godd 07 May | Posts: 190
Plastered get a run?
PC 07 May | Posts: 1936
Ok people let me step in, it seems that this article has received some positive feedback as well as negative feedback in fhe forum of constructive criticism which is ok too. Ok first of all, the administrators have nothing to do with this. It was me who wro...
SPUDLEY 07 May | Posts: 1507
This is a good idea but it just has to be W.F.A in making it a handicap only gives inferior horses a chance, so to provide a true indication of who was actually the best it's W.F.A all the way and the winner is Northerly by at least 2 lengths.
AndrewCarter 07 May | Posts: 2144
Again the point I was making is that if the correct horses were selected in the first place it would generate far more discussion and debate which is supposedly the whole point of the exercise in the first place. It seems like the current administrations aren'...
RIO 07 May | Posts: 14798
sorry pandora..i know better..And i reckon your right this is a good process to put us through