Top mares head Victorian charge
Delightful Memphis and Rocker Band are in Melbourne awaiting the $30,000 Allied Express Jodies Babe (mares) at Melton this Saturday night.
Mark and Ash Grives have sent the mares south from the Sydney base to contest the Group event, and Mark is pretty happy with the draws for the 1720m feature, and their condition going into it.
“Ashlee is realy happy with them. We are obviously there because we feel the horses are well and ready to go,” said Mark.
“Betty (Delightful Memphis) is bright as a button again. Backing her up last time after a very hard run was probably in retrospect the wrong thing to do. It was just one of those times you know you did wrong afterward, but would never know if you didn’t turn up in the first place.
“So we turned the page on that and expect a big run Saturday night. And Rocker Band (Anthony Butt) is going well again. Probably should have won the Ladyship Mile to be fair, but the leader finished her winning chances that night. Any luck in Melbourne and I think she will keep them busy.”
Whittaker has also headed south with the mares and he gets his boarding pass in the $50,000 City Of Melton Plate at Group 2 level, tackling some of Victorias best and the likes of Shadow Sax and star recruit Soho Tribeca.
“I probably wouldn’t expect to beat Soho Tribeca but I guess you never know,” he said.
“Gate one should help the cause a bit, a nice run on the fence suits him.”
DELIGHTFUL MEMPHIS (Ash Grives)