By Nick Berney
Punters quickly snapped up the early price offered about the Chris Waller-trained Beautiful Heart in the Richmond Club Maiden Handicap (1600m) at Hawkesbury on Wednesday.
The three-year-old resumed at Kembla 18 days ago and was honest in defeat after not being suited to the sit-and-sprint race.
Chris Waller sends the well-fancied Beautiful Heart to Hawkesbury on Wendesday.Credit:Getty
To her credit, she built through her gears and ran on solidly, clocking one of the meeting’s fastest final 200m splits.
The late market trade suggested she would improve from that run, and her profile supports this.
She has strong form lines through her career and gets factors in her favour here.
The filly can settle closer up in distance, receives winkers for the first time, and champion jockey Joao Moreira rides.
She is also proven on the rain-affected ground, having placed second to listed winner Buenos Noches.
Key rival Commando Jack is rock-hard and ran third at this track last start. The Anthony Cummings trained runner can roll forward and give a sight.
The Lawn Shed Handicap (1300m) is the final event on the card, and it presents as a wide-open race.
Godolphin four-year-old Capo Strada is a prominent market fancy after his first-up run was full of merit at Warwick Farm.
The gelding was given no peace in a genuine tempo and had to work three wide out on a limb. Even after absorbing that pressure, he still wanted to keep finding the line, and that race rated highly.
He will only benefit from that outing, and he receives a significant barrier change allowing him to have a much more economical run.
One of the more intriguing runners of the meeting is New Zealand import Kay Teez Command, who has had 494 days off the scene.
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
