Olive has Gaze on a Tancred mission
TRAINER Nick Olive is banking on Single Gaze proving it is really is a case of “third time lucky” when she lines up in the Group 1 $1.5 million Tancred Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
Single Gaze is backing up after her second in the Ranvet Stakes (2000m) behind Gailo Chop last week.
She is on the third line of betting with Ladbrokes at $5.50 behind Gailo Chop ($2.50 favourite) and Almandin ($4).
Olive revealed Single Gaze has only backed up and raced on successive Saturdays twice in her career for second placings in the Caulfield Cup and Brisbane Cup last year.
“She has pulled up super from the Ranvet and the plan was always to go for the Tancred Stakes,’’ Olive said.
“I’ve only done the backup twice with her including the Caulfield Cup where her second placing (behind Boom Time) was probably the best run of her career. She also ran second in the Brisbane Cup carrying 59kg.
“They were both great runs so the quick back-up seems to work well with her.’’
Single Gaze has finished behind the Darren Weirtrained Gailo Chop her last three starts including the Ranvet Stakes where three lengths separated the duo with the pair to clash again in the Tancred Stakes (2400m).
“It is going to be hard to beat Gailo Chop, he is racing in great form and Almandin is also going well,’’ he said.
Single Gaze, a flashy chestnut mare with the white blaze, is also racing on Tancred day for the third successive year. She scored a careerbest Group 1 win in the 2016 Vinery Stud Stakes and ran again at the meeting last year in the Neville Sellwood Stakes, finishing third to Assign.
Trainer Darren Weir prepared his seventh Group 1 winner of the season when Gailo Chop took out the Ranvet Stakes last week.
But Chris Waller’s Group 1 double with Winx in the George Ryder Stakes and D’Argento in the Rosehill Guineas last Saturday enabled him to join Weir at the top of the national Group 1 trainers standings this season.
The two champion trainers are going head-to-head in the Tancred Stakes with Waller saddling up veteran stayers Libran ($7) and Who Shot Thebarman ($21).
Libran indicated he was nearing his peak form when he fought on strongly behind Auvray in the Group 3 Sky High Stakes at Rosehill a fortnight ago. Waller also has smart filly Unforgotten ($5.50 fav) lining up in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m).