Semana can tick city box for Maher and Eustace

Semana has been something of a quiet achiever for the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable and she’s been well placed to have her chance at a well-earned city win at Kensington.

Half of her eight starts have been in Sydney and while she’s yet to win there were signs out of her last-start second on Anzac Day — over the same course as Wednesday’s Paulele @ Darley Handicap (1400m) — that she is ready to break through.

The three-year-old has posted wins at Muswellbrook, Goulburn and Kembla Grange, that most recent in Wollongong an easy victory second-up from a break.

On Anzac Day, Semana was run down by the Chris Waller-trained Rediener who confirmed the form with an eye-catching third at the metropolitan meeting at Gosford on Saturday.

She enjoyed a nice run, to be fair, tracking the leader into the straight before taking over but she couldn’t hold off the finish by Rediener going down by three-quarters of a length.

Significantly, the time they clocked was almost a second faster, or six lengths, than that run by Semana’s main danger Strombus as he won the final event over the same distance on Anzac Day.

It’s an encouraging sign that Semana comes through the stronger race and with a favourable draw and James McDonald to ride she’ll have the opportunity to confirm that thought.

All eyes will be on the Peter and Paul Snowden colt Godzilla in the TAB Handicap (1400m) to open the program with the youngster close to the top end in markets on the final group 1 for the two-year-olds next month.

He’s not raced since steaming home when the group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) was all over back on March 11, the race won by subsequent Golden Slipper winner Shinzo.