| Race 2 – 2:15PM Sportingbet Zeditave Stakes (1200 METRES) |
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| Of $135,000.1st $81,000, 2nd $24,300, 3rd $12,150, 4th $6,075, 5th $3,375, 6th $2,700, 7th $2,700, 8th $2,700 GROUP 3 Set Weights plus Penalties, Three-Years-Old, Colts and Geldings, Apprentices cannot claim. This race carries a SUPER VOBIS Nominators Bonus of $10,000 for qualified horses.Field Limit: 16 + 4 EM |
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| No | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LION OF BELFORT | Mick Price | Damien Oliver | 1 | 58.5kg | |||
| 2 | FAST ’N’ ROCKING | David Hayes | Craig Williams | 4 | 57.5kg | |||
| 3 | THERMAL CURRENT | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 9 | 57.5kg | |||
| 4 | CRUDEN BAY | Anthony Freedman | Damian Browne | 5 | 57.5kg | |||
| 5 | NOT LISTENIN’TOME | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 2 | 55kg | ||||
| 6 | CONSORTING | Michael Kent | Brad Rawiller | 3 | 55kg | |||
| 7 | CLAIRVAUX | Matthew Williams | Dean Yendall | 8 | 55kg | |||
| 8 | THIS IS THE SHOW | David O’Prey | Craig Newitt | 6 | 55kg | |||
| 9 | HARARE | Pat Carey | Rhys McLeod | 7 | 55kg |
In the news:
Bel Sprinter is back to his pet distance in the Oakleigh Plate as his trainer Jason Warren hopes for a repeat of the gelding’s first-up Group One deeds of almost a year ago.
Not since Bel Sprinter produced a scintillating turn of speed to win The Galaxy (1100m) last March in Sydney has the six-year-old contested a race less than 1200 metres.
Warren pinpointed the Oakleigh Plate as the first-up target for Bel Sprinter after a fruitless spring and said it was all systems go for Saturday’s 1100m race at Caulfield.
Bel Sprinter will carry topweight of 58kg with Michael Rodd to ride.
The son of Bel Esprit was unplaced in three Group Ones in the spring over 1200m.
“I think 1100 metres is his sweet spot,” Warren said.
“He would sooner prefer 1000 metres on a turning track than a 1200 down the straight.
“I just think 1000 and 1100 metres are definitely his go because he gets that solid tempo in those races and can relax and then show the turn of foot that he’s got.”
Bel Sprinter has had two 800m barrier trials at Cranbourne, finishing fourth to Oakleigh Plate rival Lankan Rupee in a soft hit-out on January 30 before winning by three-quarters of a length last Tuesday with other Oakleigh Plate entrants Flamberge and Kuroshio in the placings.
Matthew Allen filled in for an ailing Rodd in the second trial.
“Matt actually rode Bel Sprinter this time last year heading towards Sydney and he felt he was going every bit as good,” Warren said.
The trainer agrees the horse is going as well but noted he was a year older and a couple of kilos heavier.
Bel Sprinter also has 4.5kg more in the Oakleigh Plate than in 2013 Galaxy.
“It’s not like he hasn’t carried that in weight-for-age racing, but the others get in pretty good,” Warren said.
Other nominations include impressive last start stakes winners Lankan Rupee (56kg), Knoydart (53kg) and Shamal Wind (52.5kg).
Warren said the gelding’s tendency to jump slowly from the barriers was always his main concern.
The Challenge Stakes in Sydney is on the agenda with a possible defence of the Galaxy before the TJ Smith Stakes.
A return to Singapore where the gelding finished second to Lucky Nine in the KrisFlyer International Sprint in May last year, is also an option.
