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A group of 10 emerging young stayers will be on display at Royal Randwick next Monday in the Inglis Bonus Significant Prelude.
The race is part of Racing NSW’s initiative to provide more options for two and three-year-old stayers, leading in to the $85,000 BOBS Significant Stakes (1900m) run at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday 29 June.
Randwick trainer David Payne, who provided three runners in the same race last year, will be represented by Double Eagle (Jason Collett) and Devil Miss (Courtney Van Der Werf).
“Our stable strongly supports this stayer’s concept,” David Payne said.
“You see similar races all around the world and they work well.”
Last year the Prelude was taken out by Hurricane Henny defeating Hawkspur who has since franked the form as he attempts to win the Brisbane Winter Carnival’s Triple Crown.
Hawkspur has already claimed the first two legs of the Crown; the Rough Habit Plate at Eagle Farm and the Grand Prix Stakes at Doomben and lines up in the last leg, the Queensland Derby this Saturday.
Hurricane Henny, after winning the Significant Prelude, finished second in the Significant Stakes to Euryale (winner of five city races), with Black Jag third (dual metropolitan winner) and Havana Rey (Group Two winner) fourth.
The first staying two-year-old race of the season in Sydney last month was won by classy young performer Drago who created a big impression and has since been rested with the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick in mind.
His trainer, Anthony Cummings, followed a similar path with Fiveandahalfstar who went on to capture Group One victories in the Victoria Derby and The BMW.
Australian Turf Club is hosting an eight-race card on Queen’s Birthday Monday with the first race at 12:20pm. Gates open at 11am with tickets available at the gate for $15.