Sport

Four-timer for Shane

JOCKEY SHANE ELLIS looks set to go one better on last Saturday's three-timer by booting home at least four winners tomorrow afternoon - THE SANDMAN in the second, QUICK MEDIC in the fifth, EL BEAU in the sixth and three-year-old debutante MUSICAL MAESTRO in the eighth.

THE SANDMAN reports down in class at 1100 metres after chasing home the ultra-fit pair of PHYSICS BOOK and THAT'S GOLD at 1000 metres straight last Saturday. The seven-year-old gelding appeared to have got over a gate problem which had dogged him in two races since trainer Tony Kirlew snapped him up on a $260,000 tag from Richie Todd late November.

Ellis was aboard Kirlew's runner last Saturday and must be convinced that TH

SANDMAN's gate problems are behind him. Kirlew has been working his runner out of the gate in the mornings and having allowed weight to PHYSICS BOOK and THAT'S GOLD on a higher tag, THE SANDMAN should be kicking sand at rivals inside the final furlong.

SELECT PRINCESS reports up in class after her win at 1200 metres and might find the group a notch above the $170,000 Claimers she put away last Saturday. ABUELO looks to be THE SANDMAN's main danger. The five-year-old gelding has slipped down the claiming ladder and will try making all after sulking behind MR. DUNN, closing mildly for fifth at 1100 metres late last month.

QUICK MEDIC is also down in class with a tongue-tie fitted for good measure in the fifth at 1500 metres. Slipping from top level claiming where he finished two and a quarter-lengths fourth behind GILNOCK and REJECT two Saturdays ago, the six-year-old will be tough to beat. Moving as a team with GILNOCK from down the backstretch, QUICK MEDIC was right there a furlong out before the winner hit top speed under fence to nab REJECT at the wire.

Jackpots at $1m

A smart punter bagged $527, 319.50 for being the lone winner of last Saturday's second Super-6, spotting back-to-back outsiders 10-1 SELECT PRINCESS and 11-1 shot UNQUESTIONABLE in the nightpan.

The first Super-6 yielded two winning tickets each worth $329,227. However, the tougher Pick-9 bowled punters with the best being 75 tickets with five of nine winners. Both bets will start at their respective minimum jackpots of $500,000 each tomorrow, giving bettors $1m to go after.

EL BEAU, with Ellis aboard, seems to be a good thing at 1300 metres after finishing almost heads-on with Saturday's winner, HI JOE, when both were beaten by INTROSPECTION and MISS STRAWBERRY at a mile a month ago. HI JOE finished third by nine and a half-lengths and EL BEAU was only a quarter-length behind in fourth.

Reporting among Optional claimers, EL BEAU, who had Ellis aboard last time out, should prove too strong for rivals inside the final furlong.

Ellis should close off his four-timer with MUSICAL MAESTRO, who has been catching birds at exercise in the mornings. Nicely-bred, by ROYAL MINISTER out of 1000 Guineas winner MELISSA'S SONG, MUSICAL MAESTRO'S clocked 58.2 out of the gate two Tuesdays ago and even beat Anthony Nunes' ANNA PERENNA Monday morning, clocking 59.2.

Round off those Track Price Plus Pick-6 bets with Wayne DaCosta's pair of ROYAL RUN in the third at 1820 metres and SI MI TRIAL in the seventh for the Hot Line Stakes at 1200 metres.