Gerald Ryan’s flying mare Peace Force has opened clear favourite to win Friday’s sole Group race on Gosford Cup Day, the 2015 Belle Of The Turf Stakes.
Peace Force shoots for her fourth straight win as favourite in Friday’s 2015 Belle Of The Turf Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.
A five-year-old daughter of Bernardini, Peace Force comes off three straight wins and will be out for a quartet when she lines-up in the $125,000 Group 3 Gosford RSL Belle Of The Turf Stakes (1600m).
Drawn ideally in barrier three of 10 in the handicap clash for fillies and mares she will be ridden by Brenton Avdulla on 55.5kg which is a notable drop from the hefty 60kg she carried to victory last time out.
Formerly prepared by John O’Shea, Peace Force joined Ryan’s Rosehill stables early in the year and has her maiden black-type start in the Belle Of The Turf after her nice lead-up form.
Her latest victory was a narrow effort over Mamwaazel in a Benchmark 80 over 1550m at Canterbury on December 27 when she held off a late challenge over the final 100m and did well to put her nose down on the line land win with the big weight that she gets a relief from here.
Current Belle Of The Turf Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have Peace Force as the $3.50 top fancy and it is a wide open market with five of her nine rivals all also at single-figures to win with:
- #4 Commanding Wit ($5) – Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Commands mare won at Rosehill over 1350m two back before a seventh in the Just Now Handicap at Doomben in mid-December she’s out to improve on here when up over a mile for the first time. Well weighted on 54.5kg just half a kilo over the minimum with Kerrin McEvoy to ride from gate seven.
- #Mary Lou ($5.50) – Anthony Cummings’ Sydney-based four-year-old daughter of Fastnet Rock who comes off a first-up win at Randwick over 1400m in a Benchmark 70 over her own kind on Boxing Day with 55kg. Won that by nearly two lengths, has Group 3 form from the autumn and should relish barrier one dropping back to 54kg.
- #1 She’s Clean ($6) – Chris Waller-trained top weight gets a gun gate in four for Hugh Bowman but carries 59kg. Hasn’t won in while but the six-year-old Redoute’s Choice mare is on the improve and comes off a fourth when a length off Calming Influence over 1400min a Benchmark 90 over 1400m at Flemington on New Year’s Day with a kilo under her weight this Friday.
- #2 Myamira ($6.50) – Rodney Northam’s Beautiful Crown mare from Scone ran fifth in the Mudgee Cup over this distance (1600m) at the start of last month before a fourth at Randwick on December 26, also over the 1600m. She had a light weight that day (52.5kg) when three-quarters off the winner but she’s got a great record over the mile (13-4-2-1) and is undefeated at Gosford (2-2-0-0) so should appreciate getting back to the track for this even with the 57kg and the outside barrier (10).
- #6 Mamwaazel ($6.50) – Waller’s other runner this Exceed And Excel four-year-old was runner-up behind Friday’s favourite Peace Force over 1550m at Canterbury last time out and will be looking to turn the tables. She was beaten just a nose that day and had 59kg, drops back to 54kg lightweight here which should aid her cause and Bowman is replaced by Schofield.
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