Blast Them Away set to rule the roost

BLAST THEM AWAY should cement his place as the country’s top sprint-to-middle distance runner in tomorrow’s 1400metre Gold Cup, taking on UPPA TUNE, who impressively won the Imported Mile on Superstakes Day.

Champion trainer Wayne DaCosta’s BLAST THEM AWAY will carry topweight 57.0 kilos, with Dick Cardenas astride, having won a hat-trick of grade-one races since his loss to SAINT CECELIA in May’s Lotto Sprint.

UPPA TUNE comes in at 52.0 kilos, 11lb lighter than BLAST THEM AWAY, following his brilliant 1:37.3 in the Imported Mile, a month ago.

The form of that race has played out like clockwork. Second-place ARGUMENT DONE returned to comfortably beat overnight allowance on November 27.

KIPLING WEEKEND, edged out for third by GOGO YVONNE behind UPPA TUNE and ARGUMENT DONE in the Imported Mile, outbattled GOGO YVONNE two weeks later to land an open allowance at 1400 metres.

The advantage, it seems, handicaps and all, are stacked in UPPA TUNE’s favour. However, the Ian Parsardtrained colt is up in class against a seasoned grade-one combatant who beat sprint champion SAINT CECELIA in back-to-back races.

UPPA TUNE will try making all with the weight advantage, but DaCosta has CLASSY PROSPECT ready to burn the first five furlongs. Note how he has twice drilled the six-year-old gelding in successive five-furlong gallops, November 24 and 30.

KIPLING WEEKEND could also be up with the pace, so too COMMANDING CHIEF at 52.0 kilos.

BLAST THEM AWAY, exposed to far more torrid early splits in his famous battles with SAINT CECELIA, should be the most comfortable runner in the chasing pack. Expect Cardenas to edge into contention off the home turn and set the classy colt alight outside rivals.

Never mind his topweight 57.0 kilos, that’s the burden carried when slamming EL PONDEROSO and TYPEWRITER at 1400 metres in June’s Eros Trophy, clocking 1:24.1.

Dane Nelson should extend his three-win lead over Omar Walker in the jockey’s champion by way of a double – Richard Azan’s twoyear-old debutant, COGNAC, and DOUBLE DE CAT in the eighth at 1000 metres straight.

Walker’s best shot for the day appears to be IBELIVE N MIRACLE in the second at 1500 metres, However, it’s a tricky event in which CLEARLY OURS is dangerous at 48.0 kilos and PRINCESS SHINE will be closing strong with Paul Francis.