Ashburton (NZ) horsestips & previews

The Vernon & Vazey Truck Parts Benchmark 75 over the 2200m journey at Ashburton kicked off proceedings at 9:45 am AEDT with an intriguing tactical battle. Looking at how the win market shaped up once the gates opened, Smiling Eyes held the shortest quote as the market elect, closely followed by Roca Mile, Kiwi Magic, and Canheroc occupying the next lines of betting. Behind them in the order sat Miss Seth, No Plan Be, and Red Star Bella rounding out the field for this staying test on the New Zealand track.

Delving into the credentials of the main protagonists, Smiling Eyes jumped from barrier 7 with Tom Wigram steering for trainer R C Dennis, while Roca Mile was handed barrier 2 for jockey Ashlee Strawbridge and trainer R E Didham. Kiwi Magic started from barrier 4 with Hayley Hassman aboard for the stable of J & K Parsons, and topweight Canheroc carried 62kg from barrier 8 for the combination of jockey Jack Taplin and trainers M & M Pitman. In our view, the early market setup pointed directly to the staying class of Smiling Eyes and Roca Mile to dictate terms in the middle stages.

Adding further depth to the race setup, Miss Seth jumped from the inside alley in barrier 1 with Bridget Grylls for K I Rae, while No Plan Be and Red Star Bella occupied barriers 5 and 6 respectively. While the market found a clear elect at the top of the board, the staying depth provided by runners like Kiwi Magic and Canheroc ensured this 2200m assignment was no procession from the outset.