Kembla preview: Commanding Belle ready to chime again
Headlining the attack for the father and son duo is well-bred filly Commanding Belle who broke through for his first win on her home track nine days ago.
After tracking the speed, she eased wide off the bend and quickly raced away to score by a length-and-a-half.
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'She was impressive the other day. It was good for her to get a two-year-old win but she got a whole lot of rating points for her trouble,' said Robert Price.
Commanding Belle had shown nice ability in placing in two of her first four starts including a third to Rivellino on debut at Randwick.
She was also much better than her second placings at Canterbury and in the Group 3 Magic Night at Rosehill to end her first campaign.
The daughter of Golden Slipper winner Farnan returns to the same track and distance in the Midway Class 1 Handicap (1300m).
'She is a racing against the older horses this week but she does get a bit of weight relief being a two-year-old and a filly,' Price said.
'She has come through the run very well and he last bit of work on Thursday morning was really nice.
'She will turn up with bells on.'
Price said it would pay to forget the last run of Jamarni when he tackles the Class 1 Handicap (1500m).
The son of Pride Of Dubai was held up behind runners and wasn't able to be tested when ninth to Autumn Dream last week.
Prior to that, he placed in consecutive runs over 1300m before scoring his first win over 1500m in a Super Maiden at Hawkesbury.
'He got trapped in behind them and was a victim of horses coming back in his lap,' he said.
'He was a little bit shy in amongst them the other day and needs some sort of head gear so we have elected to go with the winkers this week.
'It's quite a strong race but he is in it up to his ears.
'He worked nicely on Thursday morning and should have no trouble with the quick back-up because he didn't get knocked around the other day.
'He has drawn a nice, soft gate to get a good run and he will be very competitive.'
The stable is chasing a reward with both Zoustrong and Autumn Heir in the Inglis Xtra Bonus Series Provincial Maiden Handicap (1500m).
Zoustrong only made his race debut on June 27 at Moruya where he finished seventh behind Teepee Princess before an improved run when third to Commanding Belle.
'We are asking a lot of him. It's only his third race start but he raced well the other day,' said Price.
'We are talking a leap of faith with him because it's an Inglis Bonus race which he is eligible for.
'I think he is going to be positive with us not wanting him to be because of the way raced last start.
'He has come through the run with flying colours so we are happy to give him his chance.'
Autumn Heir is also in his first campaign but has had a little more race experience with four runs, finishing just behind the placegetters in his last two.
'He will be some sort of chance in this race too. He never had a whole pile of luck the other day.
'He is going to want 2000 metres eventually but we have kept him nice and fresh. Hopefully he is sharp enough for the 1500 metres.'
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News.com.au
2 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Two words prove AFL got its handling of Izak Rankine case horribly wrong
The AFL have a zero tolerance approach when it comes to racism, vilification and discrimination. That's what every policy and rule book within league documentation states. This week however the AFL showed that tolerance has some wiggle room. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. For more than five days the AFL went back and forth with the Adelaide Crows after Izak Rankine used a homophobic slur against a Collingwood player. It took until Thursday afternoon for a ruling to finally be handed down with Rankine copping a four-match suspension. A ruling that was less than many in the football world had predicted and one that proved the AFL's supposed zero tolerance stance was anything but. For the sixth time in the past 16 months, the league found itself handling a situation where a player had delivered a homophobic slur to a rival. The first five instances, all under Andrew Dillon's rule, were dealt with swiftly and punishment was handed down without a drawn out process. Then came the Rankine case. Instead of standing firm, the AFL allowed the situation to steal the headlines for an entire week ahead of the final round of the season. The supposed zero tolerance stance was given leeway to allow the Crows every fighting chance of reducing Rankine's ban. Now we're not saying the Crows didn't deserve the right to appeal, but the AFL needed to prove this is a zero tolerance matter by handing out a ban in a swift manner like they have done with past situations. The league will say its delayed ruling had nothing to do with the fact the Crows sit on cusp of claiming the minor premiership with finals are just around the corner, but it's impossible to think otherwise when looking at the picture as a whole. Rankine's case was handled entirely differently to the five that had come before it. A fact that has not been lost on the football world. Former AFLW star turned media personality Kate McCarthy, who has become a leading voice around the league for speaking out about LGBTQIA+ issues, took aim at the league for going away from it's zero tolerance stance. 'If you look at all of the policies, all of the handbooks, all of the rulings in the AFL and the words that come after anything to do with racism, vilification, any sort of discrimination around sexual orientation or gender is zero tolerance,' McCarthy said on Triple M. 'I don't think we've seen zero tolerance play out this week. 'In the sense that he said what he said, it was proven that he said it, therefore the sanction should be handed down. That's it, there's zero tolerance. 'There's nothing that you can do or say to justify that and that is the sanction. 'I feel like that's what we've seen with every other incident that has played out in this. Clubs have accepted it, they've owned that what was said was wrong, the sanction has been handed out and we've moved on.' McCarthy said she felt for AFLW players at the Crows and says if she was in there shoes she'd be feeling anger towards the club for how it handled it all. 'There's been back and forth between the AFL and the Adelaide Crows and my initial thoughts in all of that go to the AFLW players at that football club that are openly gay,' she said. 'They're hearing that their football club is challenging a sanction that has been handed down for someone that has delivered a homophobic slur on field. 'If I was a player at that club, and I'm not talking on behalf of any of those players this is purely me, I would be really disappointed and a little bit angry at my football club for taking that stance. 'If you are accepting full responsibility like they're saying they have and they're saying Izak has, you accept it and move on and that's that. I don't know why there has been so much back and forth here.' The Herald Sun's Jay Clark pondered if the medical reasoning, listed by the AFL, deserved any benefit in the ruling. 'Do you put any weighting in the fact that Andrew Dillon today said they had factored in some compelling medical circumstances,' Clark asked. 'Now they haven't been explained. I think it's pretty obvious that it will be a mental health concern in this next period for Rankine. 'But does that fly with you?' McCarthy was blunt in her response. 'I can't judge on those (medical) circumstances, I have no idea what they are obviously we're not privy to any of them,' she said. 'My stance on that is, there is absolutely nothing you could say to me that would justify using a homophobic slur.' McCarthy wasn't alone in condemning the league for how it handled the situation with veteran journalist Gerard Whateley tearing the AFL to shreds. 'The Izak Rankine four-week suspension is such a disappointing moment from a disappointing administration,' Whateley said on SEN. 'It is the AFL's stand to rid the game of homophobic language… a campaign they began last season and from what we understand it is specifically Andrew Dillon's stand. 'And at the moment of greatest challenge he couldn't see it through. The penalty for the use of a homophobic slur without self-reporting is 5 weeks. 'This confected outcome hid behind 'compelling medical submissions'. All those involved know they can avoid accountability by using such an oblique phrase.' 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The Adelaide Crows will take to the field on Saturday for their last home and away game of the season against North Melbourne before they gear up for the finals. Rankine, like the rest of us, will be watching on from the sidelines. Jeremy Finlayson (April, 2024) – three game suspension Wil Powell (May, 2024) – five game suspension Lance Collard (July, 2024) – six game suspension Jack Graham (July, 2025) – four game suspension
ABC News
2 minutes ago
- ABC News
Every great team must overcome adversity. Izak Rankine has just provided Adelaide its own opportunity
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In their apparent pursuit of trying to appease all the parties involved, the widespread reaction to the Rankine verdict suggests the AFL may have somehow achieved the exact opposite. Prior to this week, Adelaide was one of the best stories to come out of the home and away season, courtesy of a meteoric rise from 15th last year. In an era where many teams prioritise stopping the opposition before scoring themselves, Matthew Nicks's Crows have been an offensive juggernaut while being stout defensively, becoming one of the most watchable teams to grace the AFL in several years. Rankine has been at the heart of that, along with Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson, who has elevated himself into the Brownlow Medal conversation this year. There is no way to spin the on-field impact of Rankine's absence as a positive for Adelaide; he will be sorely missed. The bedrock of all great footy teams is reliability and consistency, and the Crows have delivered in spades on both this season. 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News.com.au
32 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Cameron Green's bowling comeback could force Aussie batting reshuffle
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