3 minute read
It's quite appropriate that the 4tracks4kids Welter is the race in which I'm All The Talk gets his chance to walk the walk.
The Gary Portelli trained galloper hasn't won for a while now, though that in part can be put down to the fact that he was sparingly seen in his three-year-old season.
I'm All The Talk was a Group 3 winner in his juvenile year and a fairly promising talent before that interrupted season.
His two appearances were sound efforts, though, and he has come back from a long break to run well in two runs this time in.
He was in need of the outing when well held, but not beaten far, first-up in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes and then went on to the Group 2 The Shorts last time.
There he showed himself as good as ever, travelling strongly on the speed and giving a good kick when asked, only to be run down by the very smart sprinter Terravista.
He tumbles back to take on the handicapper today and meets nothing of the ilk of Terravista today.
It's worth noting that his career peak, a win in the Skyline Stakes, came at his lone third-up run.
Today's field is one of good depth, but if I'm All The Talk turns up in the same form as last time, or improves, then he sets a good standard for them all to run at.
The main danger looks to be Havana who makes his debut for the very much in-form Hawkes stable.
Havana has always shown himself a good talent and has figures in the book that would see him up to winning in stakes-company.
In-fact, he has won at Group 3 level up in Brisbane last campaign and that form leaves him looking very well placed here.
James McDonald goes aboard and in partnership with the Hawkes yard he continues to ride way ahead of the curve, the pair striking at 27% together overall.
That pair has an edge on recent ratings but others worth respecting, particularly when playing multiples, include the John O'Shea-trained pair Safeguard and Barbed.
Both have perhaps promised more than they have delivered to this point but they are by no means over the hill and certainly have the talent to figure in a race like this.
Worth noting that Barbed is 2/3 first-up and that fresh has definitely proven best for him in the past.
The booking of Tye Angland can hardly be dismissed either, with Tye riding in hot form over the past 6 months.
Others returning include the very honest, and talented, Heart Testa and That's A Good Idea for a new yard.
That's A Good Idea typically needs his first run back, he's been placed just once in four fresh runs in the past, but Heart Testa is usually bang on his game first-up and is expected to run well again today.
Heart Testa hasn't missed the placings first-up, winning 2 from 4, so inclusion in multiples could be seen as a must.
