South Ocean Stakes
WO   Race #2   1 1/16m   Dirt   Stake
Purse $125.000  For Fillies Two Years Old Foaled In ON.

1 Hyptonight, trained by Pan Farms
One of the better workers in the field she hasnt shown quite so much in her races but she steps out in trip today and that may be a telling factor. I like the way she got home by a neck in her maiden win last time, a wide draw made her take option B which was to fall to the trail and she finished very strongly. This is the real test for her, has she got the class gene?

2 Rainy Day Woman, trained by John Henry
Won on debut at SA and has been tested since but hasnt managed another win. She has taken on black type company 4 times already though and whilst she hasnt won she has managed 3 money finishes. Her last start saw her in the Victorian Queen over six furlongs in the slop where she tried to make all but got run down. She beat Young Poppy in that race and did well enough over a mile and sixteenth on the turf to suggest she can handle this trip.

3 Young Poppy, trained by Threshold
Still a maiden but has been running well in black type races. This is her first try at a trip but she finished well enough when second in the Muskoka Stakes to suggest she will get it OK.

4 Noble Tabernacle, trained by Paradise Stable
A consistent sort she made all to win her maiden over six and a alf furlongs but that is the furthest she has been so far so its hard to know if she will like this trip. She ran well enough in the Sadie to suggest she can live with this class and she has a fair chance in an even looking field.

5 Harsh, trained by Mb Stables
This one is proven at the trip and was third in a grade three last time so looks the obvious choice. Add to that the Mb factor and she is hard to ignore. An easy maiden winner her next start saw her fourth in the Pocahontas and her last start was a close third in the Mazerine BC Stakes. The only negative is the wide draw but surely a five horse field cant have too much a bad impact on her chances.

SUMMARY
A tight race, for me the proven one over the trip will do and that is Harsh, second will be close and i doubt much more than two lengths will cover them all at the end.

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded