EXCITES gelding Scream Machine will be out to add next Friday’s Listed $200,000 Scone Cup (1600m) to his thrilling last-to-first Wagga Wagga Gold Cup win (2000m) lodged on May 3 in the Riverina.
It was a well-deserved stakes win for the Jason Coyle trained four-year-old who is a member of his Group 1 winning sire’s first crop.
“He did it the tough way (at Wagga) but now he’s got his black type win and it’s much deserved,” Coyle said.
“He’d been just behind some nice horses at the carnival and probably had a couple of excuses at a few of those runs.”
Scream Machine’s Scone Cup tilt will require the gelding to come back 400m in distance from his Wagga triumph.
“He has done it before although he had three weeks between runs when I took him back to a mile in the Goulburn Cup and he ran second to Kinnersley,” Coyle said.
“This time we’ve only got the 14 days between runs but he’s a very fit horse and we won’t have to do a lot with him.
“I actually think the mile is going to suit him with a nice tempo in front. I don’t think it’s going to be a drama.”
Meanwhile Excites’ first stakes winner Flag Officer is striving to take his earnings beyond $250,000 when he lines up at Belmont in WA this weekend.
The Paul Jordan trained gelding won his first start as a 2YO over 1100m by almost 3-lens but trained on to win a stakes race at 1600m and was fourth beaten 2-lens in the W.A.T.C Derby over 2400m.
