Sarah Lee tipped to upset Poker Star
ANOTHER WAYNE DaCosta-trained favourite, this time it’s POKER STAR, could be ripe for an upset in this afternoon’s six-furlong overnight allowance sprint following SEEKING MY DREAM’s loss to WILL IN CHARGE last weekend.
It will take a brave soul to go against POKER STAR’s glowing exercise gallop, 1:06.3 for a flat five and a half furlongs, last Sunday morning. However, Gary Subratie’s SARAH LEE has twice finished ahead of the former Sprint champion in back-to-back races since he returned off a 10-month lay-up.
In fairness to POKER STAR, he was coming off a 10-month lay-up in the GA ‘Sarge’ Bucknor Memorial, on May 19, and went off at 20-1 in the five-furlong straight race won by his stablemate, MR UNIVERSE, with hardly any exercise gallop of worth to his name.
However, he did train for his subsequent race, two weeks later, at five and a half furlongs, clocking 1:07.4 for a flat work, the last five in 1:01.3. He had every chance a furlong out in the stretch run but finished fourth, overhauled by a flying SARAH LEE, who failed to catch WONG DON by a neck after losing more than three lengths by running wide off the turn.
POKER STAR’s exercise report suggests improved fitness but the 2015 Sprint champion looked somewhat lethargic in his last race. Though he might have needed another run, the fact that he was away on a second lengthy lay-up suggests he might not be the force he was three years ago.
Before being missing from July 2017 to May 2018, POKER STAR was similarly out of action from September 2016 to May 2017. It should be noted that he hasn’t won a race since May 2016.
Though she has never reached the lofty heights of POKER STAR, SARAH LEE is worth every dollar of a brave wager. Her last win was at six furlongs, beating A.P.I. and MR UNIVERSE, coming from off the pace.
As opposed to POKER STAR, who is drawn at post-position one, and will have to be involved in the early splits, SARAH LEE is in mid-track and should be able to angle to the rail where jockey Aaron Chatrie is most effective in the stretch run as opposed to last time out when he took the filly to Gregory Park and back.