He Or She capable of Caulfield upset
HE Or She has been no match for Underwood Stakes favourite Black Heart Bart twice this campaign but gets another chance to upset his former stablemate at Caulfield.
He Or She was seventh to Black Heart Bart first-up in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield before finishing third behind the Darren Weir-trained stablemates Palentino and Black Heart Bart in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington last start. Like Black Heart Bart, the Hayes-Dabernig-trained He Or She was formerly trained in Perth by Vaughn Sigley.
He Or She is at $10 for today’s Group 1 Underwood (1800m) in which Black Heart Bart is the $2.40 favourite.
Although He Or She failed in his only run over the distance in the Peter Young Stakes in the autumn, cotrainer David Hayes and jockey Craig Williams be- lieve he can run the distance strongly in the Underwood in which he has barrier one.
“He’s going out to 1800 metres and the way he ran the other day I’d be disappointed if he doesn’t run out the strong 1800 at this level,” Williams said.
“I think the barrier draw gives him every possibility to run his best race.”
Black Heart Bart has raced up to 2400m in Perth and finished second in the Cox Stakes over 2100m last December before being transferred to Weir, but is yet to win over more than 1420m.
Hayes has Jacquinot Bay and He Or She in the Underwood.
“He should get a lovely run,” Hayes said of He Or She in his weekly stable update.
“He’s been beaten soundly twice by Black Heart Bart but I thought he improved four or five lengths from run one to run two and Black Heart Bart is not an 1800-metre horse and I think ours will be.
“He’s got a bit to do, but it wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility.”
Veteran runner Jacquinot Bay continues his current campaign in the weight-forage race after his last-start fourth-placed finish in the Makybe Diva.
“He’s an in-form, tough, fit winter horse,” Hayes said.
“He’ll follow The Cleaner and be challenging at the 300 metre mark and hopefully be good enough.”