Hollywood Strip. Photo by Club Menangle
Boom colt Hollywood Strip could lead home the same trifecta as this month’s NSW Derby when he aims to stretch his unbeaten run to a perfect 10 on a high-quality Bathurst program on Saturday night.
Though the Group 1 double of the Gold Crown and Gold Tiara take centre stage for the juveniles, the presence of Hollywood Strip in the Gold Chalice adds some serious star power to the meeting.
Brad Hewitt's hulking colt is an early $1.55 TAB favourite to continue his winning march and the market suggests it is the two horses that chased him home in the Derby – Soho Charmer ($5) and Yottie ($3.20) - that will again present as his biggest dangers.
Hollywood Strip draws wider in the Gold Chalice final than when dominating his heat but he showed his class when he overcame the extreme outside barrier for his thumping NSW Derby win at Menangle prior and has to go on top again.
Soho Charmer was very good when coming from barrier eight for second to Hollywood Strip in the derby and has won his two starts on either side of that.
He gets the same draw he had when he sped across to lead and win Monday's heat and he is building a good record at the 1730m distance so could make a race of it.
Yottie is making rapid progress. He took a big step forward when he chased the top two for third in the Derby and impressed in his heat, coming from the same barrier to win by more than 8m and take his record at the circuit and distance to four from five.
Brooklyn Dan was 5m off Soho Charmer last start but he strikes at 50 per cent at the distance and draws to be competitive.
Progressive filly Sparkling Sea has been terrific in coming from wide or second row draws to win each of her three starts this time in can continue her charge in the Gold Bracelet Final.
She beat many of Saturday's rivals for a Listed win at Menangle two back then led from much wider to dominate Monday's heat.
The only time she has been beaten in eight starts was when runner up in last year's Gold Tiara on the Bathurst track but the good draw can see her atone for that.
Ripples was the horse that beat Sparkling Sea in that Tiara final and is going well with two wins and two placings from four starts this time in.
She was 4.7m behind Sparkling Sea in the Raith Memorial two back but raced up to four wide there. She draws wider than her rival so may need luck but she is three from three at Bathurst.
Willows Girl didn't get home by a huge margin when resuming as a hot favourite in the heats and she draws wider but should strip fitter.
A few surprises in the heats has left an open and somewhat puzzling edition of the Gold Crown.
Promising colt Take The Miki made it two from two when he drew wider and did some work before proving too good in his heat at the circuit and distance last week.
He had shown gate speed on debut prior so expect he will be able to take advantage of the good draw. That could see him tough to stop.
My Ultimate Jed draws four and has led from similar barriers to win both starts to date, digging deep to get home narrowly in his heat last week. Expect him to push forward again and fight for it at the end.
Jacwill Kid gets the ace draw again having come from there in both starts so far for a second at Melton on debut and a win in last week's heat when he led to score by 6m. He is on the up and could take catching.
Electricute drew on the back row and worked so did well to go under by just a neck last week. He draws better and is progressive.
Gocciadoro was just edged out last week after beating Electricute for a winning debut. He draws for a trail and could be dangerous.
Birdsong will have to overcome a back row draw if she is to keep her unbeaten record intact in the Gold Tiara Final.
KerryAnn Morris's filly has been setting the mark in the early season races with easy wins in her three starts over the Bathurst 1730m, cruising home by more than 23m in last week's heat.
She starts from the inside of the second line but came from that barrier when scoring nicely two back. With even luck she can maintain her perfect record.
Soho Aster made an immediate impression when she worked forward from a couple of spots wider to lead and win on debut in last week's heat. She will only be better for that hitout and should be able to take advantage of the good draw.
Shes A Delaney may require some luck from her draw on the outside of the back row but she was impressive in a 15m win in her heat, taking her record at the circuit and distance to two from two.
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