OTI Racing takes centre stage at Pakenham this Saturday, featuring several runners throughout the day along with a representative in The Supernova.
The Supernova, run over 1400m, marks the second leg of the inaugural Southside Slot Series. OTI was previously represented in the series by Cloudland, who put in a brave effort to finish 6th in The Meteorite on Cranbourne Cup Day. This weekend, veteran galloper Buffalo River will step into the spotlight under OTI’s slot. The 9-year-old heads into the race on a quick backup, a formula that saw him place at Group 3 level earlier in the spring. With several OTI owners involved in Buffalo River’s ownership, the day promises to be an exciting occasion shared with his connections.
On the undercard at Pakenham, we will field a trio of European stayers. The first of those will feature in the 2500m BM78, with French-bred duo Karburan & Paradise Storm set to line up. The Busuttin & Young-trained Karburan has mixed his form a touch this preparation, however a repeat of his winning performance on Cranbourne Cup Day would have him in the mix here. Meanwhile, Paradise Storm’s Australian debut last month was marred by poor raceday behavior, costing him any chance of being competitive. He has since been back to the trials between runs, which we hope will hold him in good stead for an improved showing on Saturday. He is certainly still in an acclimatization phase and will return a much more furnished product next time in.
Karburan wins on Cranbourne Cup Day in 2024.
Shortly after, the highly talented Irish-import Deakin will take his place in the 2000m BM78. The Stokes-trained galloper made a terrific start to his Australian career a fortnight ago, where he was unlucky not to finish in the placings. With natural improvement and up to a more suitable trip of 2000m, we expect him to run a big race on Saturday. Both OTI & Phillip Stokes have high hopes for this promising galloper, who could well feature in valuable staying races during the 2025 Autumn Carnival.