The conditions of the 2026 Hot Danish Stakes present a significant challenge for Chains Of Love, but co-trainer Paul Messara is willing to let the Kosciuszko winner take her chance against some of Sydney’s top mares.
Despite seven of the ten runners in the 1400m feature possessing higher benchmark ratings than the lightly-raced four-year-old, she will be required to carry the same 57kg impost as them under the set weights conditions.
“We don’t come into the race really well on Saturday at set weights,” Paul Messara stated. “If it was set weights and penalties, we’d come in in a much handier position. But she’ll be there doing her best.”
Chains Of Love contests the Hot Danish Stakes second-up, following an outstanding return in The Kosciuszko (1200m). In that race, she was forced to race five-wide but showed incredible determination to run down and outpoint Band Of Brothers in a close finish.
She has had three weeks to recover from that effort, and Messara reports that the mare has been in excellent form.
“I’m really happy with her. Her work has been great,” he said. “It was a phenomenal win. I can’t believe it. I’ve watched it ten times and I still can’t believe she won. You just don’t win like that, and to be able to do it, that was super impressive.”
Chains Of Love has held steady in early markets at $9, with the favourite being the classy mare Lazzura, who is $1.45 to add to her victories in the Golden Pendant and The Invitation.
With future targets such as the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) being considered for Chains Of Love in the autumn, Saturday’s race will serve as a crucial assessment of her abilities and will be her final run of the current campaign.
Messara is also set to debut his unbeaten gelding Mainstay in the Highway Handicap (1200m), after the colt strung together three wins at Scone and Muswellbrook.
Mainstay, a son of the prominent Arrowfield stallion The Autumn Sun, is still in his first preparation. However, Messara has identified enough potential to begin contemplating a Kosciuszko assault next year.
“It’s hard to do four in a row, but we’ve won three in the country, and he’ll be coming to town in good form,” Messara commented. “I rate the horse. He’s a horse I have, in my mind, might make it to the Kosciuszko next year. He’s that style of horse that can come in at the right level, and he’s progressive.”
“He’s just needed time. He’s found a way every preparation to get out of it at the last minute. He’d be ready to go and get a temperature and have to go out for a break. It’s just been one of those situations with him. Nothing too serious. He’s a beautiful horse to look at, and built like an absolute tank.”
Mainstay was priced at $4.60 on Friday.
Consider the betting markets for the Hot Danish Stakes on your preferred Australian betting sites.
