Stacked-with-class BGLC feature too close to call

VARIABLES ABOUND in Saturday’s Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) feature at five and a half furlongs, an open allowance in which no punter should try playing hero by jumping to a banker on raw form.

PACK PLAYS and MAHOGANY, for example, appear to be standouts, dropping from grade one to open allowance after placing third and fourth, respectively, behind WALL STREET TRADER and LEGACY ISLE at six furlongs three weeks ago.

An insignificant half-length separated PACK PLAYS from MAHOGANY, both carrying 115lb then. Ricardo Mathie’s PACK PLAYS returns at 119lb via Richie Shakes’ weight claim whereas MAHOGANY will carry 123lb.

Splitting hairs on four pounds in a sprint involving Mouttet Mile runners is suicidal enough, not to mention PACK PLAYS’ intent was clear last time out when beaten into third behind shared owner-interest WALL STREET TRADER and LEGACY ISLE.

PACK PLAYS ensured a cracking pace up front with CALIFORNIA CROWN for his owner’s other interest, WALL STREET TRADER, to pounce with 102lb, catching LEGACY ISLE before the foreigner could steal home.

No longer the force of yesteryear, eight-year-old MAHOGANY will have trouble keeping pace with a wound-up CALIFORNIA CROWN, PACK PLAYS and, possibly, MOJITO, who might not be able to see off the closers but can certainly cause problems for leaders hoping to make all.

The sleeper among the lot is United States-bred UNBELIEVABLE FORCE, who trailed in 19 lengths behind LEGACY ISLE at five furlongs straight when last raced back in May. Though he trailed the entire trip, his first open-allowance event, UNBELIEVABLE FORCE is capable of turning the form around at the blink of an eye.

When MAHOGANY met UNBELIEVABLE FORCE at five and a half furlongs on April 21, it took a tremendous rally from the ageing local-bred to turn back the four-year-old foreigner.

After losing by a length to MAHOGANY in April, UNBELIEVABLE FORCE was caught on the line by fellow foreigner UNSPUN at six furlongs on May 3. In his next race, May 24, UNBELIEVABLE FORCE clocked 1:06.3 over five and a half furlongs, beating MONEY MARKET and GIRVANO.

At 112lb, UNBELIEVABLE FORCE could be the spoiler from just off the pace should MAHOGANY, PACK PLAYS, and CALIFORNIA CROWN go kamikaze on the lead.

Spread your bets in the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries feature, the possibilities are too many in a race with cloudy form.