Twinspires Australian Racing Preview for May 29

by Mitchell Lamb

Brisbane is where the major focus for Australian racing occurs on Friday night for TwinSpires players, with the last six on the Doomben card all stakes races. There’s also action from Rosehill, Kembla Grange, and Belmont, so let’s try and find a few winners before the weekend kicks in.

DOOMBEN RACE 2 NO.8 STAR OF MICHELIN (TBA)

Current Odds: 3-1

Small field of nine for this benchmark handicap and that should suit the likely favorite here in Star of Michelin. A rising 4 year old, taking on the older horses here, but this late in the season that’s hardly relevant, and he’s still got a fair bit of upside, especially compared to this lot who have all found their mark in life.

He’s a get-back horse, but not having to negotiate too much traffic here is a plus, and although all three of his wins have come across the road at Eagle Farm, his two starts at Doomben can just be completely forgotten – one was his debut where he was still learning and wasn’t suited by the sprint trip, the other was two starts back when he was a short priced fav and clearly something went amiss that day as he was basically pulled up late beaten some 50 lengths.

They gave him five weeks off after that, then we saw him earlier this month over the 7 furlongs at his home circuit at the Sunshine Coast, where he was ridden very cold carrying a big weight, and stoked up late to be beaten a little more than a length. Now he gets to a mile, drops in weight, and should get every chance to drop on these late in the piece.

DOOMBEN RACE 6 NO.11 EMERALD KINGDOM (MICHAEL CAHILL)

Current Odds: 6-1

This is a talented, still lightly-raced 5-year-old sprinter that is ready to make the leap into stakes grade and he’s got a winning mentality that’s going to take him places.

He raced through his grades last prep earlier this year, winning five straight, always displaying the ability to plant himself on speed, but not in a one-dimensional manner – he can lead or take a sit to win.

Simply have to forget his last start at the Sunshine Coast two weeks ago, in what was his first crack at black-type level. He was drawn horribly and never sat closer than four wide the entire way and as he began to tire late, his rider was very easy on him.

Has drawn middle of the big field here, and with a heap of speed engaged, I expect to see Emerald Kingdom plant himself just behind it and go bang the last furlong and prove that recent failure was an aberration.

ROSEHILL RACE 1 NO.5 SUPREMO (NASH RAWILLLER)

Current Odds: 10-1

Admittedly, the top weight here in Anders looked very impressive last time out and prior to that had run second to the highly talented Peltzer, and he deserves his favoritism. But he’s likely to be a pretty short quote, and I’m looking to the lone debutant in the field in Supremo as a genuine chance to knock him over at likely double-figure odds.

The well-bred son of Written Tycoon and former Australian Oaks heroine Dizelle looks above average from what I’ve seen in the three barrier trials he’s had, and he looks a ready made type that is going to be able to handle raceday and what he is giving away in experience here, I think he makes up for in talent and upside.

Draws the rails, so that helps, and if he gets away cleanly, I can see him getting the perfect sit here throughout and prove that he’s a youngster with a bright future indeed.