3 minute read

Peter Hardacre is chasing redemption at Flemington on Derby Day when in form sprinter Press Down returns to Melbourne.

Press Down has won three of his past four starts in impressive fashion, his only failure coming at Flemington over the 1200m in July when a $2.40 favourite in the Listed Santa Ana Lane Series Final.

Hardacre said there was a genuine reason for that below par performance.

"He jumped in the air out of the barriers and tweaked a muscle in his back,'' Peter Hardacre said.

"He just didn't stretch out after that,'' he said.

Despite a similar barrier on Saturday Hardacre said the race map should suit.

"It should be OK drawn down in three early in the day,'' Hardacre said.

"There doesn't look to be a huge amount of speed in the race and hopefully he can jump clean and be able to find his rhythm and be handy to the speed.

"It looks a really even race on paper without having dived to deeply into the race.

"If he's at his best he's certainly a genuine winning chance and there are probably six or seven horses who fall into a similar boat,'' he said.

Hardacre will also have an eye on the action at Morphettville when Immortal Bliss steps out in a heat of the Rebel Raider Series.

The son of I Am Immortal landed some serious bets to win impressively on debut at Gawler last Friday and Hardacre said the horse had done well since.

"He come through Gawler really well,'' Hardacre added.

"In the end he was pretty soft on the line, he's certainly a horse with his share of ability and it's a big test but I am looking forward to stepping him up,'' he said.