The winter racing action in W.A. continues at Belmont Racecourse on Saturday with the Hyperion Stakes 2017, the field for which is headed by Lindsey Smith’s Group 1 winner Scales Of Justice.
Due to run as Belmont Race 7 at 3:45pm (local), this season’s $150,000 Group 3 Hyperion Stakes (1600m) drew 10 final acceptors.
Drawn mid-field in gate five for his second-up run of the season is talented Not A Single Doubt four-year-old Scales Of Justice.
The gelding enjoyed a stellar summer headlined by his nearly three length Ascot win in November’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m).
A devastatingly close second to Stratum Star in the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) followed in December before he returned off a lengthy spell finishing second to Rock Magic in the Group 3 Belmont Sprint (1400m).
Without Rock Magic in the mix this weekend, Scales Of Justice looks the one to beat and is sure to lead Hyperion Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au on the weight-for age feature.
The step up to the mile suits as Scales Of Justice is two-from-two over the distance and he’ll be fitter for his resuming run where he did it tough getting caught for a run from a wide barrier 12 of 12 draw.
The other best out of the Belmont Sprint from June 3, which is the traditional Hyperion Stakes lead-up, is the Grant & Alana Williams-trained third placegetter Disposition.
The Reset five-year-old was outclassed running 11th and 10th respectively in the Railway Stakes and Kingston Town Classic late last year, but looks to be on the improve this time in.
William Pike retains the ride for the Hyperion Stakes third-up on Saturday, Disposition drawn in gate eight looking to finish off strongly again after running under a length off Rock Magic last time out.
Disposition is joined in the Hyperion Stakes field by stablemates Zarantz and I’m Feeling Lucky drawn in barriers seven and one respectively.
Things went amiss for the rails-drawn I’m Feeling Lucky when she had the outside run last time out (barrier 15 of 16), finishing dead last in the Group 3 Roma Cup (1200m) in May.
The six-year-old Bletchley Park mare was in ultra-competitive form last year however winning four on the trot including three at Belmont before a second in December’s Listed Jungle Dawn Classic (1400m).
She’ll be better second-up from the good gate on Saturday returning to her pet track (11-4-0-2) on the back of a Lark Hill trial win by over six lengths on June 6.
Zarantz meanwhile chases successive wins, the Choisir six-year-old last seen saluting over the two miles at Ascot on April 22.
He drops notably in distance off the freshen-up and could find the 1600m a little sharp, but does have decent form over the mile (6-1-3-0).
Other notable hopes include seven-year-old Miki Two Toes up in class after a win here over 1650m in a Benchmark 72+ and Pounamu out to atone for a last start ninth in the Belmont Sprint.
See below for the full Hyperion Stakes 2017 field, barriers and jockeys with markets to open shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.
2017 Hyperion Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
Belmont Race 7 – 17/06/2017
# | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1x221112x2 | SCALES OF JUSTICE | Lindsey Smith | Daniel Staeck | 5 | 59kg | 111 |
2 | x4363038x9 | IHTSAHYMN | Fred Kersley | Steven Parnham | 9 | 59kg | 97 |
3 | 18x4200x53 | DISPOSITION | Grant & Alana Williams | William Pike | 8 | 59kg | 103 |
4 | 60747×7261 | ZARANTZ | Grant & Alana Williams | Aaron Mitchell | 7 | 59kg | 97 |
5 | 20x300x357 | BATTLE HERO | G Durrant & J Miller | Jarrad Noske | 3 | 59kg | 97 |
6 | 98×9350121 | MIKI TWO TOES | Anne King | Mitchell Pateman | 6 | 59kg | 87 |
7 | 2161111×49 | POUNAMU | Alan Mathews | Patrick Carbery | 4 | 59kg | 93 |
8 | 211584×700 | LITE’N IN MY VEINS | Fred Kersley | Shaun Mc Gruddy | 2 | 59kg | 96 |
9 | 8x99046x00 | BALMONT GIRL | Paula Wagg | Brad Parnham | 10 | 57kg | 87 |
10 | 751111x2x0 | I’M FEELING LUCKY | Grant & Alana Williams | Glenn Smith | 1 | 57kg | 92 |