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Progresive galloper Agrippa can continue his good form in today's Swettenham Stud Summer Championship Final (race 5) at Sandown.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The $100,000 race is a culmination of the series and run over a mile on the Lakeside course where the in form Agrippa will be looking for a winning hat trick.
Prepared by John Sadler at Flemington, Agrippa resumed over 1100m at Bendigo and after being run off his legs early motored home to finish runner up, beaten only a neck behind Paparazzi Dreamer.
He raced at the same journey again second up at Seymour and again got well out of his ground before charging home, this time finishing sixth when beaten three-quarters of a length behind Going Spending.
Up to 1400m next at Flemington, he drifted back to seventh in the run but was on the move turning and ran home hard, scoring a nose win over At The Heads.
The runner up has since won the Chester Manifold and finished a cloe fifth in Thursday's Dillon Stakes.
Agrippa then went to a mile at Caulfield last time and carrying the claim raced up to sit second before kicking strongly in the straight and scoring a three quarter length win over Segura.
Agrippa rises in weight today as senior rider Dwayne Dunn goes back aboard, but he is in top form and at his peak now.
The trip suits, and sitting just off the pace here today he should prove hard to hold out again.
The Peter Snowden trained Giresun is worth another chance after his recent form which includes two wins.
The gelding resumed at Rosehill over 1200m and lacked dash at the finish, coming in eighth, but improved sharply when heading to Melbourne over 1400m on the Hillside track.
There he sat midfield in the big field before running on hard to finish runner up behind Our Skeeta.
Over 1440m at Caulfield he sat just worse than midfield but hit the line hard in the straight, coming over the top with a head win, before racking up two on end when returning there next time over 1400m, again getting back but running on hard.
Last start, over a mile at Flemington, he drew the inside and settled closer in a slowly run race but was outsprinted in the straight, finishing fourth without much room and beaten just over a length behind Over Quota.
There is expected to be more pace in this line up and he is certainly worth another chance despite meeting the winner no better at the weights.
Over Quota is in top form with wins at his last two and must be considered again.
The gelding sat last over a mile here two back and swooped home to score a narrow win in easier grade then sat outside the leader in a slowly run race last time and ground out a determined win.
He rises in the weights here but is versatile and honest and at the odds on offer looks a good each way chance again.
Lethal Arrow ran seventh fresh at Flemington but wasn't far away and does boast excellent second up form and loves the longer journey.
The gelding should be a big improver here and will be much closer in the run.
There has been significant money for the bottomweight Josimar, coming in from double figures since betting opened.
The gelding was a narrow third last start but in easier grade and while this is a tough assignment even with the minimum weight he does boast a peak Timeform rating at the end of last season better than most of his rivals.