Tim O'Connor's Saturday best at Melton (08/08)

OVERVIEW: SOME AMERICAN (4) has started the campaign in flying fashion, with his three wins from four starts all from the front in good style here at Melton. Last time, he led and gave a good kick to defeat CATCH A WAVE (8) and TRIPLE EIGHT (10), who finished strongly but couldn’t bridge the gap. The position in running looks the same for the Emma Stewart-trained speedster, who is expected to find the top and be hard to run down over the 1720m. While Stewart stablemates STORMS COLLIDE (6) and METEOR MOTH (5) are major players, I’ll work around them for the minor placings. I fancy ULTIMATE VINNIE (1) has the speed to boot up and settle leader’s back, which would give him a great chance of finishing in the money. He was trapped parked last time at Horsham and was very brave in second, and ran a good third a while back in FFA grade here at Melton behind Oliver Dan. CATCH A WAVE (8) has a tough draw to overcome if ULTIMATE VINNIE (1) doesn’t lead, but is a brilliant pacer with a devastating turn of foot, while HOORAH PHILTRA (3) is crying out to win a race like this after cutting ground off four Stewart-trained pacers when runner-up in recent weeks.

SELECTIONS: SOME AMERICAN (4), ULTIMATE VINNIE (1), CATCH A WAVE (8), HOORAH PHILTRA (3)

OVERVIEW: Always hard drawn outside the back row over the 1720m, but MIDNIGHT MOTH (11) looks a very nice type for the Emma Stewart barn and heads into this assignment following a track record-setting success at Geelong on July 3. The three-year-old is still very green and does things wrong, but has plenty of upside with four wins from six career starts. He’s destined for much better grade than this. Stablemate SEASIDE BOY (9) has been a beaten favourite his past three, but all runs have been full of merit in defeat. Last weekend, he worked hard from the back row to eventually find the front and was only worn down late by the in-form Rocknroll Willow off his back. TELEMACHUS (4) led and won at Ballarat two back and the initial lead looks his again here, while SWEET IRISH LOCH (2) did a great job to come off speed and run down Ollies The Boss last time in the wet at Melton. KEAYANG PAYTON (10) and Breeders Crown finalist PICK UP ELVIS (8) are other key hopes worth considering for exotics.

SELECTIONS: MIDNIGHT MOTH (11), SEASIDE BOY (9), TELEMACHUS (4), SWEET IRISH LOCH (2)

OVERVIEW: ALRIGHTY (10) barely could have been more impressive in his two starts this campaign, both of which have resulted in powerful front-running victories. First-up over 1720m, he led and darted clear to score by 15.2m, and then trucked along at the top over 2240m last weekend to prevail by 25.1m. He won’t lead this contest from the back row, but he must go on top based on those two wins. VYTIS (9) has been really good his two runs after a win, coming from well back for fifth behind Hoppy and then third despite some bad luck behind ALRIGHTY (10) last Saturday. He’s a genuine danger given his slight draw advantage on that aforementioned rival. MUSKEE (8) was great winning last time at Melton while beating four rivals that reoppose, and FREIGHT SHAKER (5) might be the first horse to the front and would be a player for the minor end of trifectas and First 4s from there.

SELECTIONS: ALRIGHTY (10), VYTIS (9), MUSKEE (8), FREIGHT SHAKER (5)

OVERVIEW: ROYAL APPOINTMENT (1) broke through for a deserved victory at Mildura last week when doing work from the chair through the last lap and heads back to Melton where he’s landed a lovely gate under random barrier draw conditions. He’s been ready to claim one of these 0W/15.0K stake races for some time and I think he gets a great chance following two runner-up placings from this draw in similar races of late. MAAS BETTING AGAIN (3) looks the likely leader and won three races in succession from the front before things didn’t work out last weekend, LOWRIDER (6) won well from the top first-up in much easier grade on July 24 but will need to be good if he doesn’t find the fence, while DANCE AFFAIR (8) ran a good third from three fence last week behind I Am The Storm and might land the same spot here.

BACK: ROYAL APPOINTMENT (1) – 2 units (each-way)

SELECTIONS: ROYAL APPOINTMENT (1), MAAS BETTING AGAIN (3), LOWRIDER (6), DANCE AFFAIR (8)

OVERVIEW: Tipping an Aldebaran quinella here, with ALDEBARAN ABEL (8) marked marginally ahead of New South Wales visitor ALDEBARAN ZANE (1). Plenty has gone wrong for ALDEBARAN ABEL (8) in recent weeks, including last Saturday night when he was trapped wide when making a mid-race move. Before that, he broke early but still did a good job to only be defeated 10.4m by Keayang Gypsy. So while he’s only beaten one runner home in his last two outings, he’s going much better than that and looks a huge chance if ALDEBARAN ZANE (1) holds the lead. The four-year-old was an impressive winner at Menangle on July 28 and was unlucky not to win when third – beaten just 1.1m by Farrokh – at Kilmore prior to that. Key chance. PARIS KAY (5) won twice in-a-row before being well held in a good race behind the scratched NO MONEY NO HONEY (9) last time, while RINGER WELLS (6) has ability but the draw makes it tough to consider him a winning hope.

BACK: ALDEBARAN ABEL (8) – 2 units (win)

SELECTIONS: ALDEBARAN ABEL (8), ALDEBARAN ZANE (1), PARIS KAY (5), RINGER WELLS (6)

OVERVIEW: Group 1 NSW Trotters Derby champion PASTOR DUNBAR (5) returns to the races after a little let-up and heads here on the back of a good trial against the pacers at Cobram. He was only beaten 4m there and looks ready to go first-up in this good three-year-old contest. He draws inside all the key dangers and shapes as the horse to beat. He’s no moral given the quality of the field, however. UNCLAD (6) won well first-up on July 11 and smoked home for second to Keayang Gypsy last time, HOWDY MATE (7) has won his past two in good style here at Melton and is a handy trotter, while the emerging TIMMY WHIZ (8) caught the eye first-up at Kilmore after an early mistake and then won the final of that series last Friday night.

SELECTIONS: PASTOR DUNBAR (5), UNCLAD (6), HOWDY MATE (7), TIMMY WHIZ (9)

OVERVIEW: MISS ARI (8) was able to nail MOST EXCITING (7) in the shadows of the post here at Melton back on June 20 thanks to a wonderful Chris Alford drive and since then she’s won again at HQ in gritty style from the chair and also at Menangle when sprinting too fast to score decisively on July 18. She’s a very good mare and I’ll remain in her corner, thinking she can round up her rivals and make it four-straight triumphs. MOST EXCITING (7) is the obvious danger and likely favourite based off his outstanding form this campaign and front-line draw. Since his defeat from MISS ARI (8), he’s run third to Le Cardinal and scored a big victory back here at Melton a fortnight ago. If he can find the front – and it’s a big if given the speed underneath him – he looks hard to beat. THESTATESMAN (5) continued his good form with another strong-finishing effort for seventh – beaten just 8.8m – last weekend behind I Am The Storm and just needs luck in running to be a factor, while TWISTING BY (2) hasn’t had the draws to do much in two runs this time in, but can improve sharply from barrier two.

BACK: MISS ARI (8) – 2 units (win)

SELECTIONS: MISS ARI (8), MOST EXCITING (7), THESTATESMAN (5), TWISTING BY (2)

OVERVIEW: I AM THE STORM (3) returned from a little freshen with victory last Saturday night at Melton courtesy of a great Mark Pitt drive. He was able to weave a passage away from the inside and find the early lead from barrier eight, with the four-year-old pacer hanging on to score his third-straight win to start the campaign. You’d assume he works to the front again here, and from there must be the horse to beat. PERUN (1) gets the nice gate and ran a cracking second from this spot behind Sir Jimmy two starts back, SOHO DARKNSTORMY (5) will likely try fly across to the top like he did last weekend when third to Fairplay, and reigning Ararat Pacing Cup champion ATA RANGI (6) was buried away back on the fence in that same race but can improve on that first-up fifth with a different race shape.

BACK: PERUN (1) – 1 unit (each-way)

SELECTIONS: I AM THE STORM (3), PERUN (1), SOHO DARKNSTORMY (5), ATA RANGI (6)