It's Fifty Cents on Black Saturday

Newcomer DISTRICT ATTORNEY has been producing some impressive workouts on the exercise track in recent weeks and appears ready for a winning debut in tomorrow's opening race, a 1000 metres round event for native-bred three-year-old maidens.

By Adore The Gold - Rip Current, the Spencer Chung-trained filly breezed 800 metres in 48.3 on November 15 after similar top efforts during October and should toy with her six low-level rivals who have been struggling to get off the mark. Her only real rival is JAMMIN who worked well on October 20 (46.4x1.02.0) but has failed to reproduce that effort in two subsequent starts.

Seven $250,000 and lower claimers will face the starter in Race Two over 1820 metres. Leading contenders are MINNIFFIA, ALSO CORRECT, and ASKABOUTME. MINNIFFIA won by nine lengths over the distance on July 21 and will go to the post a firm favourite. However, title-chasing trainer Anthony Nunes claimed ASKABOUTME for owners A BMW on November 3 and has signalled his intentions by promptly removing the figure 8 and replaced it with the blinkers. Punters should, therefore, expect a big run from the six-year-old gelding as he has ran most of his best races when fitted with the blinkers. In his last run over the distance, ASKABOUTME placed third in a final time of 2:02.3. The splits in that race were a bit better than those returned by MINNIFFIA in her July 21 win so it is likely that jockey Dick Cardenas will be very early in the pace and can go all the way.

Hoping for first Win

GENERAL MUBARAAK has been knocking at the door for a very long time and should finally post his first win in the third, a 1500 metres race for four-year-old and up maidens. Trained by Donovan Plummer, GENERAL MUBARAAK has been in the top three in his last five races.

On October 15 he tried to go all the way over 1100 metres but was caught close home. The pace tomorrow will be much milder and the four-year-old gelding is expected to take the early lead again and have something to thwart rivals in the final 100 metres, Apprentice Romario Spencer has the ride.

The fourth race could prove to a very knotty affair. RAMBUNCTIOUS LINKS, NIGHT LIGHT, UNCLE VINNIE and FIFTY CENTS will all make it a very interesting race.

UNCLE VINNIE has dropped very low in the handicaps after a very encouraging run with 57kg on October 31. He will now carry to 50kg, courtesy of Romario Smith's 4kg claim. Despite the drop he will not have things his own way on the headlines and the choice has to be FIFTY CENTS.

The latter who has also come in very well at the handicaps, returned from a five-month break on October 31 and was not disgraced in finishing sixth by 14 lengths to Winter Is Coming. Trainer Steven Todd probably had this race in mind as FIFTY CENTS will carry just 48.5kg over a distance (1400m) where she has done fairly well in the past. The four-year-old filly has the ability to set a strong pace and still have something in hand to deny the run-on horses. Note that on May 23 she was close up in 22.3x45.3 splits going 1200 metres and clocked 1:13.3 behind a winning time of 1:12.2.

EXHILARATE will be too fast for his rivals in the fifth while MAJOR FORCE (Dane Nelson up) is the firm selection in Race Six.

SUNRISE-SIX SELECTIONS

1. DISTRICT ATTORNEY

2. ASKABOUTME

3. GENERAL MUBARAAK

4. FIFTY CENTS

5. EXHILARATE

6. MAJOR FORCE