While the better two-year-olds are lining up in the Group 1 AJC Sires Produce Stakes (1200m) at Randwick’s AJC Derby Day on Saturday, another quality line-up of juveniles are also engaged for the opening race at the meeting the $125,000 Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m).
The 2011 Kindergarten Stakes has drawn a 10-horse final field lead by the John Thompson-trained Boys On Tour.
Coming up trumps with barrier one, an important aspect of the two-year-old races, General Nediym gelding Boys On Tour is coming off a second place finish behind Salade in the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 26.
The other top entries for this year’s Kindergarten Stakes are Gerald Ryan’s Hot Snitzel also drawn well in barrier three, the Peter Snowden-trained Anise and the Matthew Dale-trained Jackpot Queen.
Snitzel gelding Hot Snitzel is backing up from last Saturday when they ran a well-beaten 12th behind the brilliant Sepoy in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper.
Prior to their disappointing Slipper run, Hot Snitzel was just beaten by Uate in the Group 3 Sky Line Stakes (1200m) and the drop back in class here should see them return to form.
Stablemate of Golden Slipper winner Sepoy, Anise is third-up for the season having run second to Foxwedge in The Clarry Conners Plate (1100m) on March 5 before her most recent effort coming in fourth behind Elite Falls in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m).
In red hot form for this is Canberra runner Jackpot Queen.
Despite drawing wide with barrier nine, the Not A Single Doubt filly looks a top chance of scoring back-to-back wins having taken out a 1100m sprint at Wellington last start on March 27.
Last season Jackpot Queen ran second to Pane In The Glass in the $250,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m), but Dale is wary that the wet weather in Sydney may see her withdrawn from Saturday’s race.
“We are sitting on the fence a bit with her,” Dale said.
“I just want to wait and see what the weather does but she may run in the two-year-old fillies’ race the following week.”
That race would be the $100,000 Listed Keith Mackay Quality (1200m) on Randwick’s Doncaster Mile Day, April 16.
The 2011 McGrath Estate Kindergarten Stakes will kick-start a cracker day of racing to celebrate the 150th running of the AJC Australian Derby on Saturday at Randwick and is due to jump at 11:50am (AEST).
2011 Kindergarten Stakes Field, Barriers & Weights
| # | Form | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14X20 | HOT SNITZEL | Gerald Ryan | Brenton Avdulla | 3 | 56.5kg |
| 2 | 5912 | BOYS ON TOUR | John P Thompson | Jim Cassidy | 1 | 56.5kg |
| 3 | 2 | ROLSTON | Chris Waller | – | 4 | 56.5kg |
| 4 | 43X | QUEENIAN | David Payne | Michael Rodd | 6 | 56.5kg |
| 5 | – | CONROY’S GAP | Gerald Ryan | Hugh Bowman | 2 | 56.5kg |
| 6 | 22X1 | JACKPOT QUEEN | Matthew Dale | – | 9 | 54.5kg |
| 7 | 1X24 | ANISE | Peter Snowden | – | 8 | 54.5kg |
| 8 | 2 | FOX | Adam Duggan | Joshua Parr | 7 | 54.5kg |
| 9 | 5X | AUBAZINE | Gai Waterhouse | Corey Brown | 5 | 54.5kg |
| 10 | 395 | SHADOW WEST | Anthony Cummings | Glen Boss | 10 | 54.5kg |
