Elliot Ness can double up
The promotion to Class 4 is unlikely to stop the impressive last-start winner from scoring again.
When Elliot Ness scored third-up in Restricted Maiden after two seconds, it made everyone sit up.
Then trained by multiple champion Mark Walker, the Fortuna NZ Racing Stable-owned chestnut Australian-bred looked destined to go far with his Polytrack 1,100m course record.
But, after that impressive 33/4-length victory in 1min 03.65sec on April 24 last year, Elliot Ness hibernated. He continued to run well but without winning.
Then a fortnight ago, he returned to the winner’s enclosure.
And what a success it was under new trainer Donna Logan, who took over the horse after Walker returned to New Zealand in January.
It was also third-up under Logan.
After two fourths following a near five-month break, one of them as the beaten $11 favourite, Elliot Ness bounced back in the finest fashion in a Class 5 race over his winning course and distance.
There was a lot to like about his victory. Ridden by the in-form apprentice jockey Yusoff Fadzli, the four-year-old sat beautifully behind the leader Bizar Wins, with Golden Dash covering him.
He loomed up to the leader shortly after straightening.
Once Yusoff applied the whip, his mount responded and the combination went on to score by 11/2 lengths in 1:04.50.
Golden Dash finished second and franked the form by winning last Sunday, albeit in Class 5.
Elliot Ness picked up six rating points to 53 and earned a promotion to Class 4. But he got into the Saturday (July23) Poly 1,100m dash in the final event with only 53.5kg.
With Yusoff claiming 3kg, Elliot Ness will carry only 50.5kg. That will be his winning factor.
There seems to be a lot of speed in the race which will benefit Elliot Ness. My Dreamliner, Last Samurai, First Choice and Yes One Ball will likely vie for the rabbit’s role.
Yusoff can just park behind the duelling speedsters and bide his time, like he did in his last race. He is entitled to a nice trail with the light load on his mount’s back.
With his energy saved for the kill, Elliot Ness should respond once Yusoff steps on the accelerator.
Going on his record which still stands, Elliot Ness is hard to beat.
The Yusoff-Logan-Fortuna partnership can also take Race 2, the $75,000 Restricted Maiden event over 1,200m on turf, with Rocky.
Like Elliot Ness, the three-year-old New Zealand-bred has improved tremendously based on his Tuesday morning gallop with Yusoff astride.
Logan noted that Rocky “got a bit lost on the turn but he made up a lot of ground in the end” when third in that Poly 1,000m event three weeks ago.
He is stepping up to 1,200m on turf on Sunday and probably looks the best of Logan’s trio. But do not underestimate the Kiwi’s newcomers, Fadaboy and Luxury Brand.
Both have trialled nicely, so has Richard Lim’s Pure Perfection.
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