Await a calamity in PE
CLASS: ROMAN CALAMITY TAKES ON WEAKER OPPOSITION AND IS WELL HANDICAPPED
Elegant Gent looks to be second best.
Roman Calamity will have his second start in three days when he lines up for Race 5 over 1300m on the Polytrack at Fairview today. The Corne Spies-trained son of Caesour tried 1900m in his last race on Friday but came up against a very strong field in that MR 88 Handicap on the Polytrack. He went off favourite at 9-2 but proved no match for Masterly who raced clear of the opposition to win by 3,25 lengths.
Roman Calamity was well beaten, finishing 10.20 lengths back, but he might not have seen out the distance. This time he races in a Graduation Plate over 1300m and should be better suited to both the trip and the level of company. The average merit rating in this race is 64 where in his last race it was 80.
He is the best handicapped runner by at least 4kg and is well drawn at No 4. He is also reunited with Craig Zackey who rode the four-year-old gelding when he won his penultimate start over 1600m at this track.
There are a group of runners who are the next-best handicapped contingent and the best of these could be Elegant Gent. The four-year-old is a son of Judpot and is trained by Dorrie Sham who continues to churn out winners.
In his first three runs after a layoff the gelding also took on some strong competition but last time he contested a MR 72 Handicap over this course and was running on powerfully over the final 400m to finish just 1.70 lengths behind Trouble Maker. On that occasion jockey Barend Vlooh had to deal with a No 10 draw but this time Karl Zechner is in the irons and he is beautifully positioned at barrier No 2.
Sham also saddles Dutch Harbour who is not well handicapped and is 8.5kg badly handicapped against Roman Calamity. However, he has been close up in his last few starts and they have been on the turf. He has won on the Polytrack previously and the return to this course could be in his favour. Wayne Agrella has the ride.