Wellington tips: Lundholm aiming to Boot home feature double

Lundholm was tipped to play a starring role in next Saturday’s Final via the lightly-raced and exciting Listen To The Band who won the WRA Qualifier at Mudgee on March 14. Soon after the triumph, Lundholm’s gelding suffered an injury to his foreleg which will require surgery.The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here!Listen To The Band’s withdrawal wasn’t a total loss for Lundholm with stablemate Smooth Esprit taking his place.While Smooth Esprit is the $71 rank outsider in the Final, his young and precocious stablemate Quasimoto is way more fancied to take out Sunday’s coveted $200,000 Wellington Boot (1100m). Quasimoto, a son of 2010 Golden Rose runner-up Squamosa, was a revelation for Lundholm and connections over the summer.The gelding kicked off with a third placing behind Blanc De Blanc and Saltaire at Newcastle prior to his barnstorming second in the Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1100m). “The Wellington Boot was always a target for him,’’ Lundholm said.“Obviously after the first prep went on a little bit longer and we ended up in Queensland, I was second guessing whether we just tip him out and leave him alone but the horse did very well after a couple off weeks off after the Gold Coast and I didn’t want to change our plans so we brought him back in and got him ready for the Wellington Boot. “We’re happy with where he is at and he’s a great chance on Sunday.’’Quasimoto, a $46,000 purchase at the 2022 Gold Coast auction, will likely jump from barrier 10 in Sunday’s time-honoured feature with Grant Buckley in the saddle and blinkers on for the first time. “There is a lot of money on offer and they all press forward being Wellington and it can break up the field a little bit so midfield would be nice with some cover and if he gets his chance and a fair run, he will be hard to beat,’’ Lundholm said. “If he wins it, you beauty, and we’ve got a nice (future) three-year-old heading out towards the seven furlong races.’’Lundholm will have a second runner in the Boot on Sunday – Plenitude, who faces the not insignificant task of winning the rich feature at just his first start in a race. “I trialled him last week and I don’t usually run my two-year-olds off a quick back-up off a trial especially having their first trial, but he has done very well at home,’’ the trainer said. “He is a little professional. Obviously the experience will let him down, especially in a Wellington Boot, but he has had a couple of good preparations and a few jump outs at home. “He knows what it is all about and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is on the finish.’’Lundholm’s prospects of winning the Wellington Cup (1700m) rest solely with the one-time Maher/Eustace trained gelding Ferus.“It was sort of a last minute thing, we were thinking about moving him on, but the Wellington Cup was there and we’ve still got him out stable,’’ Lundholm said. “He is fully fit and has got no weight on his back.“He should find the front and he’ll give them a run for their money for sure.’’Aside from the $100,000 purse, Sunday’s Wellington Cup carries the added incentive of Big Dance eligibility.SHAYNE O’CASS’ TOP SELECTIONSBEST BETRace 1 No. 9: ZHIHas trialled exceedingly well ahead of Sunday’s debut. Just needs no bad luck from the outside gate. NEXT BESTRace 2 No. 4: SIR FINNHad all the favours when he last start but was emphatic and can easily repeat the dose.VALUE BETRace 3 No. 12: SUNYANIWell-bred first starter from the Brett Cavanough stable who trialled better than it reads on paper.QUADDIERace 5: 2,8Race 6: 1,2,4Race 7: 5Race 8: 5,12JOCKEY TO FOLLOWGrant Buckley has some great rides on Sunday, none better than Quasimoto in the Wellington Boot.INSIDE MAILRACE 1Zhi is, was, a bargain. Just for starters, her dam was a Group 3 winner in Italy and she’s from the same family as Lys Graciuex. All that and she only made $10,000. The Damien Lane trained-filly will take home $15,000 in under a minute if she wins here and the way she has trialled, says she will. Fruit Tingle, another Wyong visitor to Wellington on Sunday, did well in her two runs at the first prep and was a very, very close second to Zhi in that February 24 trial there.Bet: Zhi to win (best bet), exacta 9 to beat 5RACE 2Sir Finn was rewarded for his consistency this current campaign with a March 5 win at Moruya. He drew one and Quayde Krogh gave him a George Moore steer but take nothing away from the horse, he was very willing in the run to the line. Can win again. Forever Jude has only won five times in his 55 starts but has placed on 15 occasions. He doesn’t make it easy for himself, just in terms of pattern but he has the talent, no doubt about that.Bet: Sir Finn to winRACE 3Sunyani was bred by Greg Perry whose long list of good horses that he designed include Atlantic Jewel and Artorius. Sunyani is a member of a very famous family, her sixth dam is Winged Beauty. As for what counts most, she went a million times better than it looks on paper in her trial at Beaumont. Poppy’s Girl is winless after 14 starts but has finished runner-up in her only three for Gayna Williams. Getting close. Ditto Loch Anton Lady.Bet: Sunyani each-way, quinella 10,12RACE 4Private Agent is a genuinely talented horse. In fact he looked Saturday city grade and above when he won by four on debut at Wagga as a 2YO pretty much three years to the day. He hasn’t reached any dizzying heights but he was placed in a deep Highway one day behind Leo and Ahead Start. First run for Brett Robb off a ripper trial. Barney Rabble has won two of his last three. Polylithic and Daredevil are major players.Bet: Private Agent to winRACE 5Classic Dreamer is one of four horses trained by Cessnock horseman Brian Walker so says the Racing NSW website. You know the old saying “you only need one good one, etc etc”, well this horse is good. He ran a huge race at Scone on debut – massive it was – and then he came out and ran 51.98s for the 900m at Newcastle. Phil Collins fans will be lining up In The Air Tonight who has been highly impressive himself in his only two starts. Goes well.The Bet: Classic Dreamer to win, exacta 2 to beat 8, quinella 2,8RACE 6High Court is a very reliable customer at the best of times and times are good for the Rodney Northam-trained gelding. You wouldn’t know he is a seven-year-old with 42 starts under the belt the way he has been going. Big run at Randwick, big run at Eagle Farm a month later. Bucko back on; just the 62kg that’s all. Island Press was very unlucky in the Mudgee CC Qualifier and good after that in the Wild Card. For Valour is the class.Bet: High Court to win, quinella 2,4RACE 7Quasimoto was third of four on debut but it took Blanc De Blanc and Saltaire to beat him. The Clint Lundholm-trained gelding was without doubt the run of the race when he finished second in the Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Not sure any of these others could do what he has done. Storm The Ramparts is a Mark Newnham-trained colt who has finished third in all three starts thus far, two in town the other in the $500,000 Debut on MM Day.Bet: Quasimoto to winRACE 8Beauchamp can cap off a big day for Clint Lundholm. The son of Brazen Beau doesn’t have a flash first-up record but finds himself a winnable race with a winning draw assuming he can make some use of it of course. Handy on his best day. Zelago would have (for me anyway) been a clear on-top pick and maybe even a special had he not drawn 11. It doesn’t mean he can’t win and he might slide in a few on the day so look out.Bet: Beauchamp to win, quinella 5,12 Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au