Group 1 Perth performer Platinum Rocker may be the class mare in Saturday’s Silk Stocking 2014 field but she’s second pick in the markets for the Gold Coast clash behind in-form Victorian Srikandi.
La Pieta is one of Saturday's top 2014 Silk Stocking chances on the Gold Coast. Photo: Steve Hart.
A full field of 16 fillies and mares will take to the track in the $150,000 Listed Turangga Farm Silk Stocking (1200m) on the weekend as part of A.D. Hollindale Stakes Day, the favourite of which is the Ciaron Maher-trained Srikandi.
An up-and-coming young Dubawi filly Srikandi lines up for her fifth start here having won three of her previous four runs, including the last two on the trot.
She’s yet to face a Black Type field with the Silk Stocking her maiden stakes assignment and she’s up against the older horses at equal weights.
It’s an assignment she’s tipped to handle however following her most recent win in a Benchmark 70 over 1200m at Sandown back on April 16, and the fact it’s one of the lower class Silk Stocking fields of recent years.
In the latest Silk Stocking odds Srikandi pays $4 to win, the market mover drawn in gate six with Glen Boss making the trip to Queensland to ride replacing Craig Williams in the saddle.
Srikandi’s biggest danger is then drawn in gate eight, Platinum Rocker the only one in the field weighted above the 54kg minimum giving away five kilos to the rest of the runners with her 59kg allocation.
The lightly raced Love A Dane mare may be a rising seven-year-old but she’s only had 13 career starts.
She’s won eight of those, most recently the Group 3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m) at home at Ascot in early November.
Her latest start was also during the Perth Summer Racing Carnival, Platinum Rocker finishing a brave second a half -length off the winner Luckygray in last year’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m).
She was at home there, coming off top form, getting in with only 53kg with the winner carrying 58kg so it’s fair to say things won’t quite be stacking up for her like that on Saturday.
Still she’s the class horse in the mix and deserving of her spot in the markets even with the big weight disadvantage.
The only two others in the Silk Stocking odds under $10 are then the nicely-bred La Pieta ($6) and Little Brown Horse ($8) drawn in gates five and three respectively.
Peter Snowden’s Redoute’s Choice foure-year-old La Pieta hasn’t raced since her third in the Group 3 Belle Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Gosford in early January, but has a top gate and a genuine chance here.
The Kelly Doughty-trained Little Brown Horse meanwhile is a local five-year-old with form in the wet so will relish a soft track should more rain fall ahead of the race.
At slightly longer prices but worth a look at are then the likes of the Matthew Dunn-trained La Tikka Rose ($11), Haradasun four-year-old Tukiyo ($11) and Jacquetta ($14).
Of those Bryan Guy’s local Encosta De Lago mare looks the one most likely to score an upset as she returns home after a Brisbane campaign, her chances aided by a wet track.
The complete Silk Stocking 2014 field, barriers and odds are listed below.
All prices are Fixed Win from Ladbrokes.com.au and available for you to lock in now at Australia’s home of the first EFTPOS Card payout system giving you instant access to your winnings in cash from any ATM in the country seconds after you win!
