Eckstein has edge on weight

ECKSTEIN is a $26 chance with TAB fixed odds for this Saturday’s $600,000 Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) despite the fact she beat most of her rivals in the Myer Classic in the spring.

And that was at level weights.

On Saturday, she’ll carry just 53kg – 4.5kg less than Dixie Blossoms, 4kg less than Day see Doom and 5kg less than topweight Foxplay.

She beat them all in the spring, along with the likes of Prompt Response, Heavens Above and Silent Sedition.

Dixie Blossoms got her revenge on her last start in the Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, but Eckstein’s trainer Kurt Goldman is expecting his horse to be tougher to beat on Saturday.

“I’ve always felt if I could get her to the Coolmore in the same form as she was in the Myer when we beat most of Saturday’s field on level weights then we’d be a good chance,” Goldman said.

“The weight advantage is a big plus and this is the race she’s been set for.

“She’s probably flying under the radar because she wasn’t trained to the minute in the Triscay Stakes and Guy Walter Stakes.

“I had to leave condition on her in those two so I still had a horse ready for the Coolmore.”

The four-year-old I Am Invincible mare put in a piece of work yesterday morning that told Goldman she was primed for a big run.

“It was as good as what she’s capable of and more importantly she recovered quickly,” Goldman said.

“She gave me every indication that she’s going as well as she was going into the Myer Classic.

“I was quite soft on her in the last two runs because she’s been up for a while with a spell. She put on a fair bit of condition after the Magic Millions run three starts back and I really got stuck into her … and she’s bounced through it.”

Eckstein is also nominated for the $3 million Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) on day one of The Championships at Royal Randwick.