Father's Day at Hastings
Multiple Stakes winner AT ATTENTION takes on a high-quality field in the day's feature Allowance contest, on what looks set to be a particularly competitive afternoon's racing
B C CHRISTIE made an excellent racing debut when finishing just behind today’s far more experienced rival, MATSQUI. That race may just have been above average and the two would appear to hold the key here. Matsqui has had plenty of chances to break her maiden, but she’s run excellently against top-class opposition and her first win can’t be far away. PETERSON LANDING ran just once as a juvenile, but that turned out to be quite a hot event and, while she’s entitled to need the race today, is another for the shortlist. A repeat of HIGHER IMAGE’s third behind Air Force last October puts her in the frame and she should come on for her season debut in May.
While there doesn’t appear to be much between BLACK METAL and PARKER POINT, who were third and fourth behind Tiz Vicious two weeks ago, the former did it the hard way that day, overcoming a wide draw and a front-end duel with the subsequent winner. It was a gutsy performance and a repeat of that should give him a leading role again here. FINDING WAYS won comfortably last time and, although this represents a small step back up the class ladder, he’s run well enough at this level to suggest he won’t be outgunned. VALUABLE COWBOY has won three of his previous four starts, including a narrow win over Tiz Vicious in May, while COUNTRY COWBOY looks to follow up on his comfortable win over Deputy’ Dancer earlier this month and can’t be ignored.
A small but select group of fillies and mares do battle here in what promises to be an exciting Allowance contest. KAPALUA CANDY has won her previous two starts by almost 15 lengths in total and she had VIVA LA VINO some way behind in third when they met in May. Today is another day, however, and it would be no surprise to see last year’s BC Oaks third finish a lot closer. BUNNY will have plenty of supporters after a nice maiden win over stablemate Licorice and subsequent winner Freestyle last time, while SHAMRA was plugging on gamely when fifth in the recent Emerald Downs Stakes and this may be a marginally less demanding assignment.
AT ATTENTION is among the very best male horse currently in training at Hastings and he makes his seasonal reappearance here following a 2022 campaign that saw him land five races; including Stakes contests at Hastings and Century Mile. He’s entitled to need this race after his winter rest, but he’s as tenacious as they come and wherever he finishes he’ll be giving it all he’s got. Barn-mate FLORIDA GATOR was immediately back to winning ways following his winter holiday and lines up here looking for a fifth consecutive win. He has the help of leading rider Amadeo Perez and there could easily be more improvement to come from the 4yo. PAY MY WAY ran a perfectly acceptable season debut last time, when behind SIR BREGOVIC, and both should relish the step-up to 8½ furlongs.
MILO’s COMMAND, SOMETHING ELUSIVE and WELLSLEY all finished in a heap behind Settebello last time and there doesn’t look to be too much between the three, although Milo’s Command is making a first appearance for new connections after being claimed last time and. Along with Wellsley will need to adapt to the longer distance here. Connections have been typically patient with DYNAMITER, meanwhile, and he appears to be improving with racing and should relish another go at the 8½ furlongs.
WISELY PLAYED ran over this distance five times last season and never finished outside the first three. He’s had a run over shorter to blow the cobwebs away and may reward followers with decent odds. He finished some way behind KLIMTOGLORY last month and the winner was then outpointed by BACK SHACK on his next start. This is BACK SHACK’s first effort at the mile-and-sixteenth course, although there doesn’t appear to be anything to suggest he won’t also enjoy the adventure. MAJESTIC STREET is a little tougher to weight up, but if he can repeat May’s neck second to Sir Bregovic and handle the distance, he’ll be thereabouts.
A head-scratcher of a finale that could be won by any of these and not be a shock. Jockey Kerron Khelawan stays loyal to the consistent KNOPFLER, who has finished second or third in all three of his races this term, and it’s hard to see him being too far away again — although he does have a bit of a habit of just missing out. MAKEITORBREAKIT looks to follow up on his win last month, while RACING RIVER was close enough to Knopfler and winner Foot Soldier last time to suggest that another win for the 6yo is close at hand. Veteran soldier QUAGMIRE gets on well with apprentice Fraser Aebly and their second-place finish behind Wise Market last time hinted at a return to the form that saw the duo land two similar contests in 2022.
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