Colin Scott’s veteran sprinter Speediness will be out to atone for a disappointing Emirates Stakes effort last Saturday when he backs up in the Sandown Stakes 2014 this weekend.
Speediness is looking to return to form in Saturday’s 2014 Sandown Stakes. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
The Testa Rossa seven-year-old is one of nine hopefuls making up the final field for the $150,000 Group 3 Mack Tow Sandown Stakes (1500m) on Saturday.
He’s drawn well in barrier three with Luke Nolen to ride but comes off a below par run at Flemington and has the 59kg top weight to carry.
The 59kg sees him give away a minimum 4.5kg away to his rivals and is two kilos mare than he had when 10th, beaten six lengths by Hucklebuck, in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) last weekend.
Before that Speediness was in good form finishing second to Trust In A Gust in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield and then fourth to Hooked in the Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day.
Scott is willing to forgive the horse his effort in the Emirates when he was forced back from the inside alley unable to get a run and his hoping for better luck against an easier field on Saturday.
Following Speediness in the Sandown Stakes field and weights are then two others over the 54kg minimum with Pornichet and Spacecraft to carry 54.5kg.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained French import Pornichet is a classy four-year-old stallion who debuted down under on Victoria Derby Day.
There he ran fourth, beaten just over a length by subsequent Emirates Stakes winner Hucklebuck, in the Group 3 Yellowglen Stakes (1400m) with the step up in distance this weekend to suit.
Spacecraft meanwhile is a Galileo eight-year-old prepared by David Hayes & Tom Dabernig with form in both flat and jumps racing, his latest start being a sixth to Éclair Big Bang just last Saturday over 1400m at Flemington.
Two last start winners line up in this year’s Sandown Stakes field with the Mick Price-trained Red Bomber (barrier six) and Leon & Troy Corstens’ General Groove (barrier two).
Red Bomber has won four of his past five starts, the up-and-coming Red Ransom gelding’s most recent win being in the Peninsula Cup (1600m) at Mornington on November 2 earning him this acid test in Group company.
General Groove meanwhile shoots for his third win on the trot, the General Nediym gelding’s latest start being a narrow victory over Spy Decoder over 1400m on Melbourne Cup Day.
Other notable hopes then include the consistent Seymour Cup third placed 10-year-old warhorse Another Prelate with the outside barrier and Lonhro mare Lady Lakshmi out to atone for her 12th in a Group 3 on Cup Day from November 4.
See below for the full Sandown Stakes 2014 field, barriers, jockeys and weights.
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2014 Sandown Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
Sandown Race 2 (1:35pm) – 15/11/2014
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2720×40240 | SPEEDINESS | Colin Scott | Luke Nolen | 3 | 59kg | 105 |
| 2 | 21x15139x4 | PORNICHET (FR) | Gai Waterhouse | James McDonald | 8 | 54.5kg | 96 |
| 3 | x01555Px56 | SPACECRAFT | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Stephen Baster | 1 | 54.5kg | 96 |
| 4 | 4x0x70x313 | ANOTHER PRELATE | Quinton Scott | Craig Robertson | 9 | 54kg | 95 |
| 5 | 14x746x603 | VIBRANT ROUGE | Glenn Thornton | Damien Thornton (a) | 4 | 54kg | 90 |
| 6 | 1x1x311191 | RED BOMBER | Mick Price | Craig Newitt | 6 | 54kg | 88 |
| 7 | 122323×310 | LADY LAKSHMI | Stephen Theodore | Vlad Duric | 5 | 54kg | 86 |
| 8 | 46227×2611 | GENERAL GROOVE | Leon & Troy Corstens | Dwayne Dunn | 2 | 54kg | 81 |
| 9 | 3630×15594 | REFER | Heath Conners | – | 7 | 54kg | 68 |
