Spright’s right for Goodwood glory
SPRIGHT will have to overcome the extreme outside barrier for the second time in a fortnight in Saturday’s $750,000 Group 1 Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville in Adelaide.
The mare jumped from barrier 13 to win the Group 1 Sangster Stakes and is faced with gate 16 on Saturday as she takes on the boys chasing her second straight sprint major with Damien Oliver in the saddle.
The Garry Frazer-trained mare remains a $3.50 favourite with Ladbrokes with the draw unlikely to hinder the mare, who will get back and be saved for one big finishing burst in the home straight.
Matt Ellerton and Simon Zahra’s Booker was another to draw wide in barrier 15 and eased from $8 to $9, with Dwayne Dunn taking the ride, while Iconoclasm drew out in gate 12 but firmed into $7.
Impressive Group 2 Euclase Stakes winner Valour Road is a $9.50 chance after drawing in the middle in barrier nine.
The Tony McEvoy stable was upbeat after its pair of Cool Passion and Despatch drew perfectly.
Cool Passion led and beat all but Spright home in the Sangster and looks the race leader from barrier two.
She firmed into $6.50 with Ladbrokes while Despatch will try to extend his winning sequence from gate four and is marked a $13 chance, with Todd Pannell picking up the ride.
“It’s an ideal draw for Cool Passion,’’ said assistant trainer Calvin McEvoy.
“Hopefully she’ll be able to find the lead and should get a beautiful run in transit from there.
“And Despatch has finally drawn a perfect gate which gives him his chance at his first run at Group 1 level.’’
Queensland jockey Tegan Harrison has picked up the ride on late entry Jamaican Rain, having won aboard the Richard Laming-trained mare in the Listed Glasshouse Handicap on the Sunshine Coast in June.
The six-year-old is rated as a $9 chance after drawing gate 11.
■ WINX brought a whole new audience to racing and now they’ll be able to sit in her stand at Randwick.
The Australian Turf Club and Racing NSW announced yesterday a new stand would be built in Winx’s honour.
The two-tier stand will cater for 5000 fans and is expected to be open for The Everest race next October.