“Hates the front”: Form analysts react to criticism of Godolphin pair and ride of Melham

A pair of Godolphin gallopers have been met with a fair bit of criticism in the wake of Saturday’s racing.

Drift Net looked the winner at Rosehill in the Benchmark-78 over 1400m when under Tommy Berry the mare hit the front with about 300 metres to go.

The James Cummings mare appeared to have got the upper hand on Redbreast, who had led throughout, before the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained runner fought back.

Drift Net had the race shot to bits when she led at the 50m-mark before floundering badly to eventually finish third with Redbreast picking herself up off the canvas to win and Terrestar running on for second.

Many felt it was somewhat of a ‘sick beat’ but SENTrack’s Miles Pfitzner is of the belief that Drift Net, who owns a record of two wins and nine placings from 13 starts, simply doesn’t like being in front.

“I did see a fair bit on social media saying that Drift Net may have been a sick beat,” Pfitzner said on SEN Track’s Giddy Up.

“But this horse hates the front.

“She had a good look around and went, ‘I don’t like it here, I don’t like it here at all’.”

Form analyst Mick Gannon feels that perhaps Drift Net should be ridden differently and saved up for a final crack at them rather than hitting the front too early.

“It was a sick beat if you were on it, no doubt about it,” said Gannon.

“That’s just racing. She got to the front, was floating around and didn’t really want it.

“Next time they get there she probably needs to be cuddled in behind one and exposed for the last 200 metres.”

Pfitzner interjected, saying he would simply never back the horse again after seeing that.

“No, no, no,” he said.

“This is where you don’t ever go there again. You can’t back horses like this that hate the front.

“Would that be fair? When they get a bit cagey like that…

“He’s a nice horse. I made her my best first-up against Wooloowin in a Benchmark-72 (when she ran third) and I’ve gone, ‘Never again’.”

Gannon continued: “She’s just got to be cuddled and exposed late.

“I think that’s the only way you’ll get her to win. It’s all price-related so if she’s double figures, then you could back her. But if she starts $1.80 favourite then absolutely not.”

Watch Redbreast go past Drift Net below:

Another Godolphin runner who experienced some misfortune was Pisces in the Group 2 Sandown Guineas.

The three-year-old gelding was a drifting favourite before running seventh in the 11-horse field on a wet Caulfield track.

Jockey Ben Melham was slammed on social media for jumping from barrier nine and immediately crossing to the fence on a day where being off the rail appeared advantageous.

Pisces found trouble at the top of the straight as winner Snitzanova and runner-up Bittercreek enjoy unimpeded runs on the outside, prompting many to criticise Melham.

However, form guru Mitch Lewis simply believes Pisces, who has won on a Heavy track in the past, did not handle the conditions.

“There’s been a bit of commentary about the ride on Pisces,” Lewis said on SENTrack.

“I was having a look, I just don’t think he travelled. He drifted savagely in the market, he was about $2.60 out to $3.60.

“This is when the track became a Heavy. I know he’s won on a Heavy, but there was an alarming drift on him and he just looked like he didn’t travel at all to me.

“I know there was some criticism on the ride but I can’t really see it. If you don’t have the horse I don’t really think you can do too much about it.”

“I wouldn’t be binning Pisces off that. I know there was a lot of ride commentary but I don’t think he handled the track.

“I thought that being third-up and aimed at the race and at least seen the Heavy track (made him a bet), but in hindsight, when he started to drift I thought, ‘Oh, no, this isn’t ideal for this horse’.

“In my opinion, Pisces didn’t handle the track.”

Snitzanova wins the Sandown Guineas, with Pisces finding trouble in royal blue back on the fence.