3 minute read
The barriers look the burden for a couple of big chances in the Betfair Handicap at the Sandown-Lakeside course today but both can overcome.
State Grade and Studley Park do look the two clear-cut top tier prospects in the fifth race on the card, a Restricted 78 over 1500m.
The Clinton McDonald trained State Grade has been an eyecatcher in all three runs this preparation and he just needs a smidgen of luck to go his way to record a third victory.
The half brother to Regal Roller, a triple G1 winner and dual G2 and G3 winner, has drawn just inside Studley Park today out in the wop wops but is used to bad gates.
He has early pace but can also be ridden cool and this campaign has drawn awkwardly each outing and found interference, blockage and bad luck.
The gelding keeps finding the line and fights hard, so with Glen Boss back aboard a tactically astute ride does seem more than likely.
Boss has been aboard State Grade six times for a win and four placings, with the only miss an unlucky fifth on debut.
If the career high rating by State Grade is bettered, equalled or even something close too it is achieved today then this is your winner plain and simple.
His effort two starts back in the G3 Aurie's Star (1200m) at Flemington for fifth, where he found the line big time under 53kg, was the performance of a horse that should have won a lot more than twice in twelve starts.
Do not worry about the step to 1500m here as last campaign he was a close second over 1600m and finished a decent fourth at 1700m.
Just prior to his second beaten a nostril over a mile by Base (Team Williams runner) at Moonee Valley in February, he defeated that same promising type over 1400m at Ballarat and Boss was atop each time.
His final two starts last campaign returned a good fifth over the mile at Listed level and a fourth over 1700m to Lordoftheparrots (ridden by Boss) at the Hillside track here at Sandown.
Those two runs above were fourth and fifth up outings and many winners have come out of them since including Niblick (Team Williams again), which looks a serious spring player, after a ripper fresh up win in the Listed Sofitel (1400m) last weekend at Flemington.
Team Williams have been having multiple numbers in races lately and there is certainly no chance for a breather when that happens but here they have just one and it is a promising type too in Studley Park.
A near carpark draw for Studley Park and 58.5kg should not be enough to halt this impressive and lightly tried gelding from winning his fourth start from five outings.
He does perform super early on in a campaign and has a touch of zoom late in his races, which for a son of Zabeel is always a good thing once the inevitable step up to a middle distance is taken.
It was hard not to like his fresh up win here at the Lakeside course in a Restricted 89 over 1400m, also sponsored by Betfair, when he dispatched his rivals with contempt under 53kg and enjoyed the slow footing.
I am not sure rock hard ground will help Studley Park to continue on his swaggering ways, so any cushion is greatly appreciate by the late maturing galloper.
He is down in class here and up 5.5kg, which for most would be a tough ask but not this already proven second up winner that is also two-for-two on the Lakeside track at Sandown.
Nick Hall takes over from Steven King last start and has won on him before, with a rather contemptuous debut win in January this year at Ballarat.
The ratings keep ascending for Studley Park and this just looks another notch on his belt towards mixing it up in the bigger leagues.
Other chances today include the Peter Moody pair of Jayconi and Garozzo, with the former better drawn and importantly first choice rider Luke Nolen goes with it.
Jayconi has early speed and is ready for the 1500m third up, so expect him to be in or near the lead throughout and giving them all something to get past in the run home.
Garozzo went okay fresh up then was unlucky last start at the Hillside track here in a Restricted 82 over 1400m from a bad barrier, so with a 2kg claim expect him to be have some sly support here.
He has already won against Restricted 78 over 1412m under 56kg, albeit at Seymour, and at 55.5kg today does look a Moody must include for your multiples.
One name worth a mention is the now gelded former New Zealand galloper Sierra Nevada, which is to be ridden by Steve Arnold.
He is by the boom sire High Chaparral, with stamina his greatest asset but as we all know stayers go good fresh up.
Sierra Nevada will find the line and is weighted as high as he is here because of his record, with a G3 placing two starts back in the Avondale Guineas (2100m), which was raced at Ellerslie this year.
His last start saw the lightly tried galloper tackle the G1 NZ Derby (2400m) and from a wide draw finished a respectable fifth to Jimmy Choux, on what as an absolute bog track.
Note this name down in the lesser stamina races over the spring carnival, as the upside is all to come for the four-year-old.
Also consider Exchanges second up with the 3kg claim down to 53.5kg and a good draw sure to see this Anthony Freedman trained mare deliver something better today than her fresh up eighth.
I felt the 57kg and synthetic track at Geelong first up was a bit much for her but she paraded in fantastic order and does come to hand quickly.
Do factor in as well that her last win came in a Restricted 72 over a mile on the Hillside track here at Sandown for a 3kg claiming apprentice.
I do think they have cherry picked this midweek race for State Grade to rediscover what winning feels like and he may well pay overs if the Studley Park money comes as expected by the truckload.
Garozzo of the two Moody runners holds more value appeal and look again at Exchanges as another dividend bolsterer.
Enjoy the race.