Casino Prince filly Baccarat Baby will book a trip to Sydney if she wins again at Doomben on Saturday.
The David Vandyke-trained filly (pictured) will shoulder 59kg when attempting to stretch her winning sequence to five in the QTIS 3YO Hcp (1600m). “It will purchase her ticket for the Flight Stakes,” Vandyke said. “It’s her toughest test with that weight but she’s in excellent shape and should be hard to beat.”
The $500,000 Flight Stakes Gr.1 is scheduled for September 29 at Randwick.
Baccarat Baby (3f Casino Prince – Meerlust by Johannesburg) is a homebred for Vinery clients Peter Harris and Matthew Irwin. Vandyke has received permission from stewards to apply ear muffs for the prelims but they will be removed before she enters the barrier.
Orbost is another promising 3yo filly by Casino Prince in action on Saturday. She starts in the Holdfast Insurance Hcp (1300m) at Morphettville following a brilliant debut at Gawler last month.
The Will Clarken-trainee will have to overcome visiting Melbourne colt Fighting Harada but she’s up to the task in town. “We’ve nominated her for the Thousand Guineas but it will probably come a bit too quick,” Clarken admitted. “I reckon she’s going to be a lovely filly in the autumn.”
Jockey Jamie Kah was impressed after the filly responded to strong support ($2.60 into $1.95) at Gawler. “She was a class above them and you wouldn’t know it was her first time to the races. I saved ground back in the field and she was perfect in the straight.”
Orbost was bred by Terry Board and he kept a share after she sold for $95,000 at the 2017 Adelaide Magic Millions. Her dam Bay Breeze (Belong To Me) has also foaled 2017 VRC Moomba Plate LR winner Falcool.
All Too Hard has sired winners at the last three Saturday meetings in Sydney and is aiming for a fourth with All Too Soon at Randwick. She has opened a $5 co-favourite for the $125,000 Shoot Out Mile.
Warranty can close the card in a winning note for owner John Camilleri who is best known as the breeder of Winx.
Camilleri’s All Too Hard mare has been off the scene since failing in a stakes race at Doomben during the winter carnival but was a sizzling first-up winner at Randwick in April. She was last on the corner and it’s worth remembering she let down with the fastest 600m sectional (33.67s) of the day.
At Flemington, Lindsay Park’s All Too Hard filly Cristal Eyes has accepted for the Cap d’Antibes Stakes LR and Tony McEvoy has his All Too Hard colt Unfair Dismissal taking on a red-hot field in the Antler Luggage Plate LR.
Trainer David Hayes said the first-up run by Cristal Eyes last month was much better than it looked on paper. “She never got a crack at them at Moonee Valley. The 1100 metres on Saturday will be a bit short but I expect her to be steaming home and put her hand up for the Thousand Guineas.”
Unfair Dismissal was a $120,000 buy for Tony Santic from Baramul Stud at the 2017 Gold Coast Magic Millions and he returns to Melbourne after a last-start victory in the Oaklands Plate LR at Morphettville.
Santic’s situation will mirror Camilleri at Flemington. An hour after Unfair Dismissal, the Group 1 feature named after his Melbourne Cup legend Makybe Diva will be run at headquarters.
Vinery sires can kick off a big weekend at the Newcastle Gold Cup meeting on Friday. All Too Hard 3yo Outrageous is the pre-post $5 favourite for the Spring Stakes Gr.3 and More Than Ready star Prized Icon is the market at $6 for the Cameron Hcp Gr.3
More Than Ready yearlings sold to $650,000 during Book 1 of the Keeneland Sale which concluded on Thursday. His top-priced filly from Bet To Win (Pulpit) was purchased leading owner Barry Swartz and is a full-sister to Justa Lady (Tellike Stakes LR).
