Up in Sydney, Saturday’s Rosehill card is headlined by the Winter Stakes (Listed) (Race 6) over 1400m with Peter Robl’s Ninth Legion aiming for his third consecutive win.
The former Villiers Stakes winner has found a new lease of life and backed up his win in the Eye Liner at Ipswich with success in the Civic Stakes here a fortnight ago against a similar calibre of opposition.
While there was merit in both of those efforts, it should be noted that they were both on tracks rated a soft 5 and the horse’s most recent effort on a heavy surface saw him beaten more than 14 lengths in the Octagonal Handicap early last month.
Michelle Ritchie’s Better Not Blue powered home into second place in the Civic and meeting the winner 1kg better at the weights should give the stable cause for optimism they can reverse that result.
He’s a horse who handles the heavy going with aplomb and deserves a change of luck having raced consistently this preparation.
Elsewhere, Chris Waller won this race with Rugged Cross last year and he saddles up Tales of Grimm, who vindicated the stable’s decision to head north after landing the Spear Chief at Eagle Farm on Tatt’s Tiara day.
Waller suggested the drop back in distance to seven furlongs should present no real problems for the horse while also urging punters to forgive Marenostro’s poor showing in the Civic and instead go off his Octagonal Handicap win.
Our traders aren’t convinced though and will be keen to accommodate clients wanting to side with either of those runners.
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