BLAST THEM AWAY

BIG bad BLAST THEM AWAY was beaten by the handicaps going seven furlongs in last month's Eros Trophy and should make amends in Saturday's six-furlong Lady Geeta Trophy.

The five-year-old United States-bred horse ran a gallant race with topweight 57.0 kilos. However, allowing POTCHEEN 22lb was too much to ask at seven furlongs.

The Wayne DaCosta-trained runner wasn't the best away but hustled his way to the front, disputing splits of 23.3, 46.0 and 1:11.1. So torrid were the splits that POTCHEEN, even with 47.0 kilos, had to be kept off the pace before producing a last-furlong blast to nail BLAST THEM AWAY.

POTCHEEN's trainer, Ian Parsard, has a two-pronged attack aimed at stopping BLAST THEM AWAY. He had utilised apprentice Obrien White's three-kilo claim to telling effect aboard POTCHEEN in the Eros Trophy.

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On Saturday, it is hat-trick hunting PETE'SWILDONE, POTCHEEN's stablemate, who White will be aboard, getting 22lb from BLAST THEM AWAY.

United States-bred PETE'SWILDONE won his last two races in explosive fashion with White, motoring from off the pace to beat open-allowance company in sharp sprints.

In one of those races, PETE'SWILDONE carried 47.5 kilos and blew past his stablemate, UPPA TUNE, and EL PODEROSO, who were battling for the lead inside the last half-furlong of a 1000-metre round race on March 1.

He came home similarly strong on April 5, again zipping past EL PODEROSO locked in battle this time with TRADITIONAL PRINCE.

Parsard's tactic looks clear cut. He has a third runner in the seven-horse field, the pacey UPPA TUNE, who scored a runaway victory at 1820 metres on March 15.

UPPA TUNE is the fastest of Parsard's trio and will try keeping topweight BLAST THEM AWAY busy for stablemates POTCHEEN and PETE'SWILDONE to pounce up the lane.

DaCosta has four runners in the line-up with his best chance being BLAST THEM AWAY. Blessed with speed and class, he is good enough to engage UPPA TUNE and have enough in the tank to stave off Parsard's charging duo of POTCHEEN and PETE'SWILDONE.

UPPA TUNE has pace, but tends to flatten out when used up in sprints. He definitely prefers a loping pace over a distance of ground.

Expect UPPA TUNE and BLAST THEM AWAY to separate from the field. UPPA TUNE will quit first, leaving the race at the mercy of BLAST THEM AWAY.