Despite the quality of this Saturday’s 2012 Randwick Guineas field, trainer Paul Messara is confident his three-year-old Rekindled Alliance has what it takes to match it with the best this weekend.
Rekindled Alliance (7) is ready to step up to the mile for the 2012 Randwick Guineas on Saturday
The latest elite level of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, the $500,000 Group 1 Turnpoint Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) has attracted a final field of 17 smart gallopers including Group 1 winners Manawanui, Mosheen and Doctor Doom.
Another Randwick Guineas hopeful is Redoute’s Choice colt Rekindled Alliance drawn one outside of Manawanui (11) in barrier 12.
The lightly-raced Rekindled Alliance hasn’t won a race since their successful debut at Canterbury in August last year, but Messara is hopeful that will change come Saturday.
After resuming with a first-up fourth behind Hot Snitzel in the Group 2 Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm last month, Rekindled Alliance was last seen finishing four and a half lengths away sixth behind fellow Randwick Guineas chance Wild And Proud in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m).
Along with Gai Waterhouse’s winner upon protest Wild And Proud, there were a number of other Randwick Guineas hopes that beat Rekindled Alliance home in the Hobartville including Manwanui and Moment Of Change.
That race was run on a Heavy (9) track at Rosehill, however, and Messara believes on firmer ground at Randwick over a little more distance that Rekindled Alliance will improve.
“I’m really happy with him, delighted in fact,” Messara said.
“I’ve just been waiting for a dry track because he’s not a wet tracker.
“The horse just can’t accelerate on a wet track, it’s that simple and you can’t blame him for that.
“(Saturday) will be his best run this preparation and given a dry track I’m really confident he’ll be ultra-competitive.”
And of the competition?
Messara is all too aware of just how good a horse Ron Leemon’s Golden Rose winner Manawanui has the potential to be and said that with a good run from their awkward gate they would be the definite one to beat.
“If Manawanui gets the luck I think he will win because he is the best horse in the race,” Leemon said.
“But it’s not going to be an easy race.
“It’s a Group One, Group Ones aren’t easy, they never are.
“Obviously there is Mosheen but the middle-distance staying-type horses like Rekindled Alliance and Doctor Doom will start to come into their own now.”
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