Mel Eggleston’s ultra-consistent Gold Coast-trained filly All Over Bosanova is well-backed to continue her undefeated career with a black-type win in Brisbane’s 2017 Mick Dittman Plate this weekend.
Guard Of Honour (inside) comes up from Sydney as a livewire hope in the 2017 Mick Dittman Plate at Doomben on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
Due to run as Doomben Race 6 at 3:07pm (AEST), this season’s $100,000 Listed Mick Dittman Plate (1050m) has attracted a final field of fourteen three-year-old sprinters.
Sitting top of the latest Mick Dittman Plate odds at Ladbrokes.com.au backed in early from $3.90 to $3.60 is the unbeaten Court Command filly All Over Bosanova.
She has enjoyed a flawless four-win start to her career, including her first Brisbane success by a runaway two and a half-lengths at Eagle Farm over 1200m on February 18.
Freshened-up since, this weekend sees her step-up to black-type company for the first time racing over a shorter 1050m distance at Doomben.
Jockey Luke Rolls continues his successful association with the up-and-comer having ridden her to victory for her latest three runs, the favourite drawn well in gate five where she’ll be right up on the speed throughout.
Occupying the next two lines of Mick Dittman Plate betting are the widely-drawn duo of Guard Of Honour ($4.80) and River Racer ($5) set to jump from barriers eleven and ten respectively.
Newcastle’s top trainer Kris Lees brings his well-bred Northern Meteor colt Guard Of Honour to the Sunshine State on Saturday after the galloper’s tough Group 1 run in Melbourne last time out.
On the back of a brave second to Man From Uncle in Randwick’s Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) on February 4, the youngster was found out when five lengths away eleventh behind Sheidel as a $41 roughie in Caulfield’s Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) on Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes Day.
Guard Of Honour has won a subsequent trial over 900m at home by over three lengths and in Listed class against a field of fellow three-year-olds on the weekend could prove very hard to run down.
River Racer also has winning claims, the Les Ross-trained Hidden Dragon filly resuming over a distance she boasts two seconds and two thirds from four previous runs over.
She was runner-up behind Winning Rupert in the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate (1300m) at Eagle Farm on New Year’s Eve before a trip to the Gold Coast produced a brave sixth when just three and a half-lengths off Flying Jess in the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m).
Back in Brisbane over 1050m fresh and Jeff Lloyd’s ride in the Mick Dittman Plate certainly could come up trumps come the finishing post on Saturday.
Rounding out the three-year-olds under $10 for the win are the always-honest Ringo’s A Rockstar ($9) drawn a treat in barrier two and Tiyatrolani ($9.50) first-up in barrier six with Jim Byrne to ride.
See below for the full Mick Dittman Plate 2017 field, barriers and jockeys complete with odds provided by Ladbrokes.com.au.
