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Sydney trainer John O'Shea has accepted to contest Sunday's $250,000 Black Opal Stakes at Canberra with Faustus as protection against the driving rain which has left parts of Warwick Farm underwater.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The track had recorded 82mm of rain by 8am on Thursday morning leaving the fate of Saturday's Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) meeting to the heavens, although the weather forecast suggests the rain will abate just in time for the races to go ahead in two days.
So bad was the rain, trackwork was shut down just after 7am this morning.
Opening the eight-race program is the two-year-old Schweppes Plate (1100m), where the highly rated Faustus is due to resume following his debut win at Rosehill about four months ago.
After indicating earlier this week his More Than Ready colt would line up in Sydney, O'Shea also accepted for the Black Opal as a secondary option for his $17 Golden Slipper hopeful, who does not like running on wet tracks.
Faustus was set to resume in last weekend's Silver Slipper Stakes but O'Shea scratched the horse to avoid the heavy surface.
Should he run at Canberra on Sunday, where the track is expected to dry to a Dead 5, the juvenile will strengthen an already powerful field for the richest race on the Thoroughbred Park calendar.
Unbeaten Sydney trio Epaulette, Cavalry Rose and Later Gator have also accepted as has Anthony Cummings youngster Diamond Player.
Canberra Racing Club chief executive Peter Stubbs said his track had been recovering sufficiently from the rain which lashed the ACT last week.
“The thing that I did do last night and this morning was send the trainers emails and SMSs updating them on the weather conditions here, and likely track rating and all that,” Stubbs said.
“A realistic prediction is it would be in the dead range on Sunday.”
The $200,000 Canberra Cup also boasts a powerful field, accommodating two of Sydney's best stayers in Zavite and Tullamore.
The Cummings trained Zavite has won almost $2m in prizemoney, and has two Group One wins to his name – last year's Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and the 2010 Auckland Cup (3200m).
Tullamore meanwhile is out of the Gai Waterhouse yard, and ran third in last year's Caulfield Cup (2400m).
Team Hawkes will also likely send Rainbow Styling as opposed to stablemate Niwot, who'll run at Flemington on Saturday, while last-start winner Praecido has also accepted for the Canberra Cup.