3 minute read

The prospect of a dead track today at Canterbury should see From The Vault continue his winning ways at a favoured venue and he does look a form and ratings special.

The four-year-old gelding has always shown enough ability to reach open class and deliver at blacktype level for his trainer Mark De Monfort and it is only a matter of time before he does.

I see him as a standout on ratings and shown ability today in the Benchmark 73 over 1250m, with the topweight of 58kg in the fourth race on the card posing no concerns whatsoever.

From The Vault is a big strong thing with a stride to reach greater heights and the in form rider Christian Reith does look very much to suit the galloper.

Reith has been aboard for the last two starts, with a much better seventh than it reads in a Benchmark 80 over 1500m at Rosehill behind Altius and then a last start win on the Kensington inner circuit of Randwick in a Benchmark 70 under 57.5kg.

The first and third runners from his Rosehill seventh, where he drew gate thirteen, have since raced twice each, with Altius winning and being beaten a lip last week, while Sienna Red has won both her starts.

From The Vault last start dropped in grade and 100m less to bury his rivals with sustained closing power but he can also launch quickly if asked.

The second and third finishers behind him at Kensington in Alumbrado and Saint Saiala have both won next time out, so the formline strength has been proven on a more than one race basis.

I do not see coming back to the 1250m today as a problem because he is course and distance specialist with three runs here at the trip for two wins and a fourth.

The fourth came four starts back in a Benchmark 69 for three-year-olds last season, where he struck some trouble under 58kg but found the line gamely on heavy ground.

He is a versatile sort in that he has won on dead, slow and heavy ground.

His three attempts at Group or Listed level so far have returned fourths at G2 and Listed level and a fifth at Listed level, with the incredible statistic they came behind Decision Time each time.

Decision Time (runner up in G1 Golden Slipper in 2010) and already a seven-time winner is a decent yardstick, as he has run in Group or Listed events some nine times to date and the worst he has ever finished is fifth.

He has won at G2 and scored in three Listed races, with a second at G1 and G2, a third at G3 and a fourth at G1 and a fifth at G3.

The highest career rating for From The Vault came with his fourth in the G2 Stan Fox Stakes (1200m) last September at Randwick, when beaten just under a length and a half.

Watch for him to drop back from gate ten then Reith will look to time his closing burst to perfection over the final stages.

Only one other rival today in the last twelve months is close to the From The Vault ratings figure and in Secession we find the main danger.

It is worth pointing out this four-year-old has actually achieved the highest master rating in this field lifetime but it came as a juvenile and obviously over a year ago.

Secession is just a one-race winner in fourteen starts, so trust is an issue with this gelded son of Lohnro from the potent Peter Snowden stable when it comes to the pockets of punters.

He does go real good fresh and was heavily backed accordingly in this state ten days ago on the synthetic track of Geelong, however burned his army of backers and not for the first time.

The fact he has been sent North and will reappear on natural turf right-handed augurs well for him to form reverse today even from the awkward gate of eight.

The two times he has raced at Canterbury so far have produced a fresh up close second and a not far away fourth.

Do not give up on Secession just yet, as he has been good enough to finish third to Sincero and fourth to Red Tracer for a couple of fresh in the mind headline horses of recent times.

Kerrin McEvoy back aboard will help matters, as he is the only one to win on it to date plus the addition of winkers is a positive pointer too.

More Rocco resumes here and Corey Brown will ride the Joseph Pride trained gelding from a good gate of two.

Brown has ridden it in two preparatory trials and has won two races aboard before, with one of them coming right here at Canterbury.

In fact the Brown record atop is very appealing with three times on board for two wins and notable the support each time was substantial.

The lightly tried Wakanda is another that can be considered despite a wide gate, after a nice trial win earlier this month.

The gelding has met Secession once and beaten him home plus being by Dubawi was always going to get better and stronger with time and racing on his side.

Glyn Schofield rode him in the trial and stays with the Anthony Cummings trained galloper on raceday, which he knows well and gets the best out of for sure.

He rode it to win on debut having trialled it up quietly twice prior and then finished third on it second up, when up in class and trip.

Enjoy the race and remember to close the vault door afterwards if you get the cash!