Class colt likes firm footing
If track downgrades Avantage could be favourite
Around 6.45am Tuesday Opie Bosson summed up Saturday’s $225,000 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires Produce at Awapuni. Yes, 30 hours even before barrier draws came out.
Bosson galloped class colt Sword Of Osman on the Matamata course proper on footing that was officially rated a dead 6. “Opie came back in and said the horse would not want it any worse than a dead 6 if he is going to be competitive,” said cotrainer Stephen Autridge yesterday.
The official rating of Awapuni yesterday morning was a dead 5 and showers peppered the track during the day. Further showers are forecast before race time.
That news does not concern the stable, Autridge or co-trainer Jamie Richards. “If it rains our other two Avantage and Handsome Rebel will be suited,” said Autridge. “All three have average draws, but if it’s a bit wet they will be better off than if they’d drawn in close.”
The only defeat Avantage has suffered in five starts is when she finished a magnificent second to Sword Of Osman in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie last start. That was a relatively tough run for her, but it has not taken her backwards. If anything, says Autridge, she is even bet- ter now. “Her gallop on Tuesday is the best work she has ever done. She’s right in the zone.”
So once again the weather will decide this. When barrier draws came out yesterday the TAB opened a Final Field market on this race and Sword Of Osman was the $3.30 favourite ahead of Melt at $4 and Avantage on $4.50. If the track downgrades Avantage could replace her stablemate as favourite.
A track in the slow range is possibly the best chance for Handsome Stephen Autridge Rebel. On a good surface he finished third to Sword Of Osman in the Group 3 Slipper two start back at Matamata, bit was a touch more than six lengths in arrears and on similar footing it is difficult to imagine he could have improved sufficiently to bridge that gap. He won well in lesser grade last start and has trained on well since.
Melt is the query horse. She was well fancied to give Sword Of Osman and Avantage cheek in the Sistema Stakes, but her finishing burst lacked every bit of the determined finish she produced to win in her first two race starts. It could be that the Ellerslie footing Sistema day was very, very firm and may not have suited her. The class filly’s first win was on dead footing and her mother Ticklish had an excellent record in the wet. The footing this time might be just what she needs to turn her form around.
Sir Nate has class. He is unbeaten racing left-handed, his two misses came in getting used to Ellerslie in two runs. He showed he has come off those runs with a last-start win and has shown he can handle rainaffected track very well. Additionally, he finishes his races off well and this 1400m is almost always won by that type of horse.