Fancy Red has won her past two races in style, will have the services of champion jockey William Pike and is from a stable that knows what it takes to win the Listed Belmont Oaks (2019m), compelling reasons why she is all the rage with punters at Bunbury tomorrow.
Fancy Red has a stranglehold on Belmont Oaks betting, currently the $2 Tabtouch favourite, shortening from her opening quote of $2.50 with a big gap to Showlas, who sits on the second line at $6 and the only other runner that’s under double figure odds.
Trainer Adam Durrant is no knock on Fancy Red, he knows the Oakland Park graduate is racing well and, in the zone, to add black type to her record but admits he’s a little perplexed as to why she is so short in the market, believing she’s a silly price.
“We’re under no illusions,” Durrant said on Tabradio.
“$2 is ridiculous, she’s got the Pike tax.
“It should be $5 the field, she shouldn’t be $2, perhaps if it’s 1400m or 1600m.
“It is what it is and hopefully we can get some black type.”
Red Fancy is well qualified ahead of her Belmont Oaks encounter, going in with a full head of steam after back-to-back wins at Northam (1400m) and Pinjarra (1412m).
Displaying a level of consistency in her maiden campaign, the daughter of Sessions, in her past seven races, has produced four wins and three placings.
Fancy Red is no orphan, the Belmont Oaks is a distance test for the remaining 13 combatants, but Durrant was taken by the way his filly hit the line when winning at Pinjarra a week ago.
“We’ll have a roll at the dice, she’s a filly in good form,” Durrant said.
“She ran through the line strongly the other day.
“That was a bonus race, and she wasn’t looking for the paddock.
“We knew she was going really well, and it was a good hit out for the Belmont Oaks.
“Without any disrespect to the rest of the horses, everyone knows we get to this time in the winter, the winter fillies-oaks, they are not that genuine or that strong.
“I’ve won it before with horses that aren’t genuine stayers that see that distance again.
“We’ve got a plan on how hopefully we can ride her quiet, which she seems to race best.
“Hopefully she can get away with it.”
Fancy Red gets away in the Belmont Oaks from barrier five.
The Durrant-Pike partnership has stood up before in the Belmont Oaks when Ihts Closing Inn (2023) and Tick Tick Bloom (2014) were successful.
Summah’s Touch (2013) and Kia Ora Miss (2006) were another two members of Durrant’s Belmont Oaks winning team.
Pike won last year’s Belmont Oaks on Petrouchka (2024) and before that aboard Chantrea (2020), Mystery Miss (2019) and New Image (2010).
Julio Santarelli