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Premiere class no worry
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JOE Pride isn't deterred by the quality of opposition expected
to confront his classy mare Regal Cheer in Saturday's Group Two
$140,000 Premiere Stakes at Rosehill Gardens.
"There are some very good horses nominated but Regal Cheer will be
meeting even better fields than this later in her campaign," the
trainer pointed out.
"She sprints very well fresh and I'm confident of a good
performance from her on Saturday."
Regal Cheer is one of six individual Group One winners among the
14 entries for the weight-for-age sprint.
Warwick Farm trainers have a numerical stranglehold on the feature
race with nine entries. John Hawkes has nominated four himself
including Paratroopers, Mnemosyne and Mentality, each a Group One
winner, and the classy Binding.
Guy Walter has three likely runners – boom three-year-old Excites
and talented mares Imana and Johan's Toy.
Paul Cave's The Free Stater and Pride's Regal Cheer make up the
Warwick Farm strike-force.
Regal Cheer has had two barrier trial hitouts in recent weeks to
prepare for the Premiere Stakes.
"We have had the Premiere Stakes in mind for her first-up for
sometime now and it's a suitable race to start her campaign,"
Pride said.
"Her Sydney program is pretty well locked in for the spring with
the only doubt whether we take her to the 'mile' for the Epsom
Handicap."
Champion jockey Glen Boss, who has won three times previously on
Regal Cheer, has regained the mount on Saturday.
The Free Stater is also resuming in the Premiere but he will be
hard to beat if he runs up to his excellent barrier trial effort
when a close third to Danasierra and Court's In Session at Warwick
Farm earlier this month.
Cave is aiming The Free Stater at the Epsom Handicap although he
admitted to having an even bigger goal in mind.
"We've also got him entered for the Cox Plate but it's more
whether the horse can mentally handle the preparation required for
that race because he certainly has the physical ability to do it,"
Cave said.
"He's still a quite highly strung horse who doesn't cope with too
many changes (to routine)."
The Free Stater, with regular rider Jamie Innes in the saddle, won
five of his six races during a stunning debut preparation earlier
this year, culminating with an easy Hawkesbury Guineas win back in
April.
"He's had just under eight weeks off and has really pleased me
since he's come back into work," Cave said.
Three-year-olds Mentality and Lectrice are dual nominations with
both also being entered for the Listed $100,000 The Run To The
Rose.
If Hawkes elects to run Mentality in the Premiere, he will be
striving to become the first three-year-old colt or gelding to win
the race since Integra in 1990.
The record of three-year-old fillies is even more daunting for
Lectrice's connections as the only winner was Outback in the
race's inaugural running 34 years ago.
Lectrice has also been nominated for the Listed $100,000 Quezette
Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield next Saturday.
By Ray Thomas |
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