Ace aims for second place
THE punters say Winx is unbeatable in the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday and Ace High’s trainer David Payne can’t argue.
“They could only beat her if she fell down,” he said.
“She’s so much more superior to anything around at the moment.”
Winx is a $1.10 favourite with Ladbrokes, but she could start even shorter, testing the $1.08 starting price when she won the 2016 George Main. Payne isn’t too fazed by it. “I’ve been in the game too long to worry about racing against her,” he said.
“They say there’s no certainties in racing but on paper it certainly looks like she is.
“The owners are keen to run Ace High against her even though we can’t beat Winx, but if we could run second it adds value to him as a stallion, being a Group 1 race.”
Last year’s VRC Derby winner Ace High put in an unusually poor run to the eye firstup, coming last of 11 to the champion mare in the Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 18.
“If you look at the sectionals they weren’t that bad so it was just one of those days where he got too far back,” Payne said.
He bounced back with a tremendous run in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) after overcoming a wide run to finish second behind Unforgotten.
“He’s pulled up well and is happy so he’s on track for the George Main,” Payne said.
Jason Collett takes over from regular rider Tye Angland, who was already booked to ride Who Shot Thebarman for Chris Waller.
Payne will run Ace High in the Hill Stakes and Craven Plate in Sydney before heading south again for another bigrace tilt – the Melbourne Cup.
BEN Smith’s two Group 1 winners, In Her Time and El Dorado Dreaming, were handed over to fellow Newcastle trainer Kris Lees yesterday to allow them to continue their spring campaigns while Smith faces a lengthy ban.
Racing NSW stewards approved the transfer 24 hours after they suspended Smith’s trainer’s licence when he refused to give evidence and gave false evidence when his stables were raided on Tuesday as stewards followed up two swab irregularities.