Trainer confident Babylon Berlin can Foote it with Johny Johny
The trainer of the fastest horse going to Pukekohe today says he is quite happy to see the second-fastest horse in the same race.
Because Ben Foote, who trains hot favourite Babylon Berlin in today’s $150,000 Counties Bowl, believes fellow speed machine Johny Johny can help his mare.
The pair are two of the fastest horses in New Zealand over short trips and both like to race on the speed, which along with the addition of another natural speedster in Sacred Satono, could make for a dazzling 1100m today.
For all their similar racing styles and equal topweights of 59kg today,
Babylon Berlin has been better performed in our best sprinting races than Johny Johny, although the latter has won his last four starts and seems more dogged and determined when challenged these days.
Foote, who trains Babylon Berlin with son Ryan, says he is happy to concede any early lead to Johny Johny and let his mare track him until jockey Opie Bosson pushes the go button.
“I like it when Johny Johny is in her races,” says Foote. “He’s very fast, like her, but only has one racing style, so he will lead and we can sit off him and Opie can go when he wants.
“She has been good enough to get past him in previous races they’ve clashed in, and she’s in the right form to do that again.”
Babylon Berlin has chased home Imperatriz and Levante in our Group 1 sprints last season, and with them absent this summer, she surely gets her chance in a race such as the Railway on January 1.
“That’s her big aim, it’s all about getting a Group 1 now, and being set weights and penalties, she will drop a lot in weight for the Railway compared with her 59kg on Saturday,” says Foote. “Still, I don’t think the weight will bother her because she’s a beast.”
Sacred Satono could ultimately be the threat late to Babylon Berlin today, as he was a brave seventh in the Silver Eagle in Sydney last start and carries only 53kg today, although the 1100m might be a touch sharp for him.
Another mare charged with carrying 59kg today is Aquacade in the $170,000 Counties Cup, but like Babylon Berlin, she is favoured to get away with it.
Aquacade loves Pukekohe and won a decent weight-for-age race last start here over a race rival in Aromatic. The question for punters today is whether the 3.5kg Aromatcic is better off in the weights can see her turn the tables on Aquacade in a race Aromatic
won last year on a heavy track.
The other big weight relief gainer today is Dionysus, who thrived on the major Cups circuit this time last year and is dangerous today with 54.5kg if he produces his best.
The richest race at Pukekohe is the $225,000 Breeders Stakes, in which tempo will be crucial, but Our Alley Cat has more pathways to victory than most.
Earlier in the programme, there is the best early form indicator to the Karaka Millions on January 27 when the three favourites for New Zealand’s richest juvenile race meet in the $110,000 Counties Challenge Bowl.
Savaglee, Poetic Champion and Velocious were all brilliant winning their debuts, so if one of them can dominate today, they will become the clear TAB Karaka Millions favourite.