Sport

Strike Gold in feature

By JIMMIE, Star Racing Writer

FORMALLY GOLD SHOULD strike gold for trainer Wayne DaCosta in tomorrow after-noon's 1200-metre Hall of Fame Stakes.

Pitted against speedy stablemate SI MI TRIAL and Dwight Chen's CHOSEN ONE, FORMALLY GOLD might appear outsped by the local pair but represents class in the seven-horse line-up.

The four-year-old American-bred should be able to race just off what is expected to be torrid splits before charging at rivals in the stretch run.

In addition, both SI MI TRIAL and CHOSEN ONE are venturing up in class among Open Allowance company whereas FORMALLY GOLD came within three-quarter length of beating the level on May 7 when nabbed by RIZZI LEE at a mile.

Guineas-winning filly SI MI TRIAL will be venturing outside three-year-old company for the first time in seven starts. Not beaten in a sprint to date, DaCosta's filly will get her acid test from CHOSEN ONE, who's also coming to run on the lead.

CHOSEN ONE has been setting the exercise track alight, blazing 1:05.1 for five and a half-furlong last Sunday morning. However, he prefers to carry his speed over longer distances and is likely to be too used-up, keeping pace with SI MI TRIAL, to have an answer when FORMALLY GOLD and Paul Francis come calling in deep stretch.

Although she's not a dasher, FORMALLY GOLD is no slouch and will be tracking her speedier rivals into the straight. Last time out she set a terrific six-furlong split of 1:11.4 when caught close home by RIZZI LEE.

Francis is more than competent and will be sitting in the catbird seat with a ton of horse in hand to unleash in the stretch run.

$1.7m in jackpots

CARNIVAL at 26-1 in the second race and TWEEDSIDE at 17-1 in the fourth took out most Pick-9 bets on Labour Day, sending a $1.2m carryover to tomorrow's card. The Super-Six, which started at the fifth race, got under way after both upsetters struck and was duly nabbed, yielding 28 winning tickets each worth $45,418.

Richard Azan's CHARRITO should get all Pick-9 bets off to a good start in the third at 1000 metres round. The Richard Azan-trained filly is a fussy customer, often refusing to enter the gate but she worked brilliantly at exercise last Sunday morning, 1:00.2 for five furlongs round, and could outclass her rivals from a clean break.

OLYMPIC STAR won't be caught in the fourth at 1100 metres after being tagged by BUSTER JACK on debut and THUNDER SQUAD's good second behind SI MI TRIAL two weeks ago makes him a winner in the fifth at 1100 metres.

PITTACUS should land a quick double in the eighth at 2000 metres and PROCEEDACCORDINGLY is set to go wire-to-wire in the ninth at 1300 metres after playing hide-and-seek at an unlikely distance of 1000 metres straight last time out.