Two more...
RED SHIFT
3 g Lucky Unicorn - Scarlet Queen
Breeder: Valachi Downs
Owner: OTI Racing
Purchased for $10,500 at 2010 NZ National Yearling Sale
Trainer: Regan Donnison
Jockey: Michael Coleman
9 starts
2 wins
1 second
3 thirds
No major races
Derby odds: 30.00
Positives:
* A big, powerful gelding with a lot of stamina.
* A winner over 2100m at Ellerslie.
* Recently purchased for apparently quite a large amount by a successful and experienced Australian syndicate that rate him highly.
Negatives:
* Untested against this class of opposition.
* Ran a terrible race last start - 7th in Rating 75 grade.
Until his last start, I thought this guy was a live contender in the Derby at big odds. But he was so bad in that race that I was forced into a rethink. He has to make up a dozen lengths on that performance to be even vaguely competitive against much stronger opposition here. His pedigree, size and running style scream 'Derby', but his last start was just too bad to ignore.
ANGELOLOGY
3 g Coats Choice - Fallen Angel
Breeder: A Jones & E Morris
Owner: A Illston, C Payne and M Prebble
Purchased for $3,250 at 2010 NZ National Yearling Sale
Trainer: Kevin Myers
Jockey: Kelly Myers
6 starts
4 wins
1 second
1 third
No major races
Derby odds: 18.00
Positives:
* He's been monstrous lately, winning races by up to 7 lengths
* Trainer Myers won the Derby in 2008 with C'est La Guerre
Negatives:
* All of his races have been in races worth $10,000 or less, and many of them have been on minor country racetracks - it's a big step up.
The mystery horse. I'd barely even heard of this gelding until his name was thrown into the Derby ring this week. Looking back at replays of his previous performances, he's a very visually impressive horse. His 7-length win was jaw-dropping. But the horses he's been racing against would be lapped in this race. He has to make a really, really big step up in class here.
I think these are all the major contenders - plus they're the only ones I have photos for! I'll cover the others in the next couple of days, but in a bit less detail.
