Coleman sees chance for double
Jockey rates Supera as his best winning hope at Te Rapa
Michael Coleman’s frustrating return to the saddle could get two serious boosts in the space of 40 minutes at Te Rapa today.
And he says while he can’t wait to ride his 1000 Guineas winning sweetheart Media Sensation again today, his best chance of group race glory might come a race earlier.
Coleman feared his days in the saddle were over when a long-time medical condition worsened in February, but he fought his way back to work and rode a winner at Pukekohe on his third day back last month before being suspended, only returning to race riding again on Thursday.
But after that frustrating start to his comeback, Coleman jumps on a couple of serious female gallopers in the two major races today and could snare a group race double without surprising.
Media Sensation looks one of the value each-way bets of the day in a deep Cambridge Breeders Stakes but as good as she is, Coleman rates Supera in the $100,000 Travis Stakes as his best.
“They are both obviously high class and I am looking forward to getting on two as good as them,” says Coleman. It has been a bit stop-start my return, with the suspension, but I rode on Thursday and at the trials today [Friday] so I will be ready for the big day.”
Coleman was on both Supera and Media Sensation when they flashed home at their last starts and says the former might face the easier task today.
“She is in a good field, they both are, but there might be less winning chances in Supera’s race.”
She was a booming late second to Nicoletta over 1600m in the Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha last start, suggesting the step up to 2000m today should suit her perfectly and Coleman is hoping for a solid tempo, which looks likely.
“If we get a good, even tempo that will suit her and I can see her being midfield or just behind that and that might not be a bad place to be.
“She actually went better than it even looked at Te Aroha because she was back in the inside and wasn’t getting much room and I don’t think she enjoyed it. Because of that it took her longer than I expected to wind up in the straight.
“But I think from this draw she really gets her chance.”
Nicoletta is unlikely to get an easy lead today but she is a tough mare whose best form has seen her finish third in a group one Herbie Dyke at the highest weight-for-age level here last year and she could win again without surprising.
Add in last year’s winner Our Abbadean, the improving Fiscal Fantasy, Easter Handicap placegetter Yearn and Jessiegee, who was a huge fourth at Awapuni last start, and the Travis will be won by a good mare.
But for all its depth, the Breeders Stakes for 3-year-olds is the race of the day, bringing together Guineas and Derby horses against the emerging 3-year-olds like Vigor Winner and the unbeaten Sheezallmine. With no easy beats in the race and the 1200m leaving little time to get back and run on, Coleman thinks he needs to be positive with Media Sensation even from a tricky draw.
“She was a bit slow out last start at Ellerslie and we couldn’t win after that but she hit the line really well,” says Coleman.
“Peter [Williams, co-trainer] was actually considering trialling her rather than racing her that start so she will improve a lot with that run and she has to be a huge chance.
“But it is a very strong field and she has that tricky draw so of the two Supera might be the better chance of me getting a big one.
“If Media Sensation jumps well though I’ll be positive on her and she can go very close.
“Still, it is a race that not much would need to go wrong to get beaten.”
With so much form depth, particularly from the likes of brilliant laststart winner Santa Catarina, and a host of stakes-placed rivals, the race looks a late-season gem before the winter tracks settle in.