Horse Racing

There is a buzz in the air at Adelaide again leading up to The Goodwood Day at Morphettville on Saturday with another appearance from Black Caviar on the cards, one of the meeting’s other features being the RA Lee Stakes 2012.

There were a total of 18 nominations taken for the $150,000 Group 3 RA Lee Stakes (1600m) this year including the defending champion Budriguez

David Jolly’s Al Maher gelding hasn’t won a race since their RA Lee Stakes success 12 months ago.

Last seen running dead last in the Listed City of Adelaide Handicap (1400m) on April 21 Budriguez is likely to open a rank outsider in the pending RA Lee Stakes field and markets.

City of Adelaide Handicap winner Verco Road and third placegetter Bagman have also both been nominated for the RA Lee.

Dion Koch’s evergreen Rubiton eight-year-old Verco Road is in flying form having won back-to-back black types in Adelaide this season, the first being in the CS Hayes Stakes over the mile in March when ridden by Craig Williams.

The Sam & Mark Kavanagh-trained Easy Rocking five-year-old Bagman meanwhile won the Listed Matrice Stakes (1300m) first-up at Morphettville on March 24.

They then traveled to Victoria to run third to Smokin’ Joey in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield on April 7 before their last start third to Verco Road.

Another galloper coming off a last start win at Morphettville is the Kevin Sweeny-trained Zariz three-year-old Riziz.

After a number of close calls this year the young gun scored an emphatic two and a half length victory in the Listed Adelaide Guineas (1600m) last Saturday.

Adelaide Guineas runner-up Kinselmac Manner has also been nominated to back up in the RA Lee Stakes this weekend.

The top rated horse in the RA Lee Stakes entries this year is the now John Sadler-trained Linton.

The Galileo grey hasn’t raced since they failed to beat home any of their rivals in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington last October and is tipped to make their much anticipated debut for new connections on the weekend.

Linton’s former trainer Robert Hickmott meanwhile has nominated for his imported stallion Seville in the race, the spring cup-bound galloper looking to improve on their ninth in the Anniversary Vase (1440m) at Caulfield in the Aussie debut on April 21.

Other top nominees include the Mick Price-trained Testa My Patience, Peter Moody’s Zabeel mare So Pristine coming off a win in the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes over the Morphettville mile on April 28, quality stayer Hastein, and Michael Moroney’s last-start Caulfield winner Zabisco.

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2012 RA Lee Stakes Nominations

Morphettville – 12/05/2012