Form Analysis by Tim O'Connor
Race 1:
SELECTIONS: I AM ON THERUN (8), THEROUX (2), BJ ROBERTSON (6), COLORADO GIRL (5)
OVERVIEW: Saturday night racing heads to Cranbourne for an eight-race card and the opening event is a tricky way to start proceedings. I AM ON THERUN (8) looks marginally the pick of this lot based off his solid fourth placing in the $20,000 Vicbred Homegrown Classic two runs back and he was good latest hitting the line hard from last at Cobram. Just needs a good drive from gate eight to figure here. THEROUX (2) broke his maiden with victory on New Year’s Eve at Melton and should run well again, BJ ROBERTSON (6) scored his first victory with a death-seat success at Gunbower recently, while COLORADO GIRL (5) has gate speed and might be hard to catch if she finds the top.
Race 2:
SELECTIONS: HODY MOKE (6), KITTY CASH (8), BETSY ANNE (3), KYVALLEY ANTHONY (5)
OVERVIEW: HODY MOKE (6) brings form from the Vicbred Super Series to this event and looks really well placed dropping back in class. Her latest outing was a runner-up placing to Dance Fighter in the $20,000 Vicbred Homegrown Classic, where she came from well back to cut the margin to just 1.7m. This is easier and she’s the one to beat. Stablemate BETSY ANNE (3) rates as a key danger, as does the lightly-raced KITTY CASH (8), who closed off nicely for second at Cranbourne last time out. KYVALLEY ANTHONY (5) has good gate speed and might give them something to run down.
BACK: HODY MOKE (6) – 3 units (win)
Race 3:
SELECTIONS: JILLIBY DREAMLOVER (3), KYVALLEY MAVEN (1), EL RESAMO (8), KEAYANG GUCCI (4)
OVERVIEW: JILLIBY DREAMLOVER (3) is looking to make it three-straight Saturday night wins and gets a great chance to do so here. She has led and bolted in her last two starts at Melton, including last weekend when she beat four rivals that reoppose here. She should lead and take no end of catching around the fence-biased circuit of Cranbourne. KYVALLEY MAVEN (1) appears to get a nice run in behind the favourite and is finally starting to live up to his big wraps, EL RESAMO (8) should get a nice trip as the sole back row runner and KEAYANG GUCCI (4) and GOTFEELINGSYOUKNOW (6) look next best.
Race 4:
SELECTIONS: JILLIBY BALLERINI (4), ROCKINWITHATTITUDE (5), IMPERIAL MONARCH (8), EBONYS AVENGER (2)
OVERVIEW: Great to see the return of superstar mare JILLIBY BALLERINI (4), who will start a red-hot favourite in her first run since a two-start New Zealand campaign in November. She is one of the best trotters in the country and it would be a shock to see her beaten here. ROCKINWITHATTITUDE (5) is a superstar mare herself and makes a long-awaited return from injury, which has kept her away from the races since October 2024. She’s a multiple Group 1 winner who has had plenty of trials ahead of her comeback. She has good gate speed and might find the front before likely taking a trail on JILLIBY BALLERINI (4). IMPERIAL MONARCH (8) is a very handy stablemate to JILLIBY BALLERINI (4) and will run well in his first-up assignment, while EBONYS AVENGER (2) is a must for First 4s.
Race 5:
SELECTIONS: SMOKEN ACE (5), LOUIE LOU I (4), RAKAJED (6), ISTHISJUSTFANTASY (7)
OVERVIEW: SMOKEN ACE (5) broke the track record at Geelong two starts back and then ran a brave second to Calexico last time out. He’s got good gate speed and might bully his way to the front, so is very hard to beat. LOUIE LOU I (4) hasn’t won since January last year, but looks to have found an opportunity to use his good gate speed to try to lead all the way over the sprint trip. He usually takes some time to work into his preparations and his last couple of runs have been full of merit. RAKAJED (6) is as tough as they come and could certainly sit parked to win without surprising, while ISTHISJUSTFANTASY (7) has a good turn of foot and will be storming home late.
BACK: SMOKEN ACE (5) – 2 units (win)
Race 6:
SELECTIONS: KEAYANG GYPSY (6), FREIGHT SHAKER (1), TICTOK (3), HATCHBACK (4)
OVERVIEW: KEAYANG GYPSY (6) has been in dominant form of late and should really be unbeaten from her last four outings, but made a mistake when well clear in the straight at Geelong on December 12. She looks the one to beat here. FREIGHT SHAKER (1) ran down TICTOK (3) as the pair battled out their last start at Melton and loom as key dangers, while HATCHBACK (4) and NAKEDTRUTH (5) are the other outside contenders.
BACK: KEAYANG GYPSY (6) – 2 units (win)
Race 7:
SELECTIONS: CEE CEE LOU (1), FERRIGNO (4), ROCKNALLOVERTHEWORLD (5), TARA VICTORY (3)
OVERVIEW: CEE CEE LOU (1) was very competitive through the Vicbred Super Series in November and ran a good race in the Group 2 final behind Miki To Success. His subsequent efforts at Charlton and Bendigo have been great without much luck and he gets a super chance here from the pole. Very happy his way. FERRIGNO (4) was plain at Melton on New Year’s Eve but has shown some good form prior, ROCKNALLOVERTHEWORLD (5) was solid through the recent Gordon Rothacker Championship series and has ability, while TARA VICTORY (3) can improve sharply on her figure form after galloping her last two.
BACK: CEE CEE LOU (1) – 3 units (win)
Race 8:
SELECTIONS: UBETTA KNOT (2), DEUCE COUPE (5), CLEAR LEFT (4), EL BOSTON (3)
OVERVIEW: A scamper over the 1145m trip to close the night and it looms as a difficult event to find the winner. EL BOSTON (3) has blistering gate speed so should find the front, but he was very weak in the straight first-up at Gunbower and will be vulnerable late. I’m thinking UBETTA KNOT (2) will get in behind and from there can out-dash him in the lane. Her figure form is ordinary, but she hasn’t found the fence for a while and that could be all the difference here. DEUCE COUPE (5) looks another of the early speed runners who would be very hard to beat if he got the top, while CLEAR LEFT (4), HITTHEROADJACK (7) and NORMS LADY (6) could win if they went crazy up front.
