A win by more than a Tale
Horse Racing 
/ Gary Crispe / 24 January 2012 / Leave a comment Free Bet View Market
Shadow Tales rises in grade but tackles a similar trip at the same track and has drawn ideally in barrier four
When progressive galloper Shadow Tales races today's Homelectrix Handicap at Wangaratta, Gary Crispe of 'racingandsports' feels he can make it two wins on end.
Shadow Tales, prepared at Echuca by Gwenda Johnstone, was a last-start winner at the course and can go on with it from a good draw again.
The son of Hold That Tiger ran on well on debut for a luckless fourth over 975m at Swan Hill then returned there and ran on well again, this time finishing runner-up and beaten only a neck. Second-up he raced at Benalla on heavy ground and with a big weight and wide gate covered ground just off the speed, but faded in the run home to finish eighth.
Fitter for that, and returning to a dry track here last time, he bounced back. From a better gate he sat third throughout and turned there before running on for a tidy win.
Today, Shadow Tales rises in grade but tackles a similar trip at the same track and has drawn ideally in barrier four. He drops in weight and with the run of the race again looks the hardest to hold out.
Heesatoff has done little wrong in his two career runs to date and looks the main danger.
The Brian Cox-trained gelding made his debut here over 1000m and after settling off the speed, worked home steadily to finish runner-up. He then raced over 1000m at Echuca and took advantage of his good draw, sitting second, before looming up and drawing clear with a 2.2-length win.
He has drawn the same gate this time and should be camped just off the leaders, and can only be further improved. The gelding looks like he'll be tough to hold out again as well.
Very Humorous is a speedy mare with an honest record, and in this relatively small field will take catching.
Prepared by John Ledger here, the mare has two wins and a placing from four starts at home, finishing runner-up here in this grade two back when beaten half a length. She tried to lead throughout at Albury latest and held third but today drops nicely in the weights after the claim and will take catching.
GARY'S TO PICKS FOR RACE 7@WANGARATTA
(1) Shadow Tales
(2) Heesatoff
(3) Very Humorous
