Seasoned middle distance galloper Ecuador will look to continue on his winning ways when he contests the Carrington Stakes (Race 7) over 1400m at Randwick on another busy day of racing on Saturday.
The seven-year-old gelding caused a surprise with a first-up victory in the December Handicap over this trip on Christmas Eve, hitting top gear in the final furlong to overwhelm favourite Snoopy.
Adam Hyeronimus was aboard on that occasion and will once again take the ride having built a close association with this horse following front-running wins in both the Lord Mayor’s and McKell Cups during the winter.
In at Unibet headquarters, where Houtzen’s impressive win seriously dented an otherwise profitable Magic Millions day for us, we’re looking to oppose Ecuador to recover some of that money.
Kim Waugh’s Oxford Poet was heavily backed before finishing third to Dal Cielo in the Summer Sprint at Warwick Farm fortnight ago.
Parked wide through the first half of the race having drawn the outside, his run was fair and the step up to seven furlongs should also be in his favour here, so we’re expecting him to perform well.
At the prices though, our traders felt that last-start winner Gold Symphony was best placed in a field of just seven runners.
Formerly with Peter Moody, this horse struggled during his first preparation under the handling of the Snowden’s but his obvious ability surfaced at Warwick Farm after a smart Kerrin McEvoy ride.
It’s also worth noting the horse he beat into second place, Bjorn Baker’s Imposing Lass, came out and won the Belle of the Turf Stakes at Gosford last Friday.
While the surface is rated a Good 4 at the time of writing, showers are predicted for later this week with any downgrade surely to his advantage given Gold Symphony’s penchant for soft tracks.
Stablemate Princefamous steps out to the 1400m for the first time after an underwhelming effort in the Canterbury Classic, where he was beaten by six lengths by Le Cordon Bleu.
His two earlier runs this campaign had been full of merit but we’re far from convinced that the extra distance suits and are also happy to lay him.
Tips:
1. Gold Symphony
2. Oxford Poet
3. Ecuador
4. Princefamous