Go Racing takes on Randwick Group Ones
Go Racing will line up three runners in Group One races at Royal Randwick on Saturday, spearheaded by Gr.1 Asahi Super Dry Metropolitan (2400m), $5.50 favourite Soul Of Spain.
Amongst Soul Of Spain’s opposition in the A$750,000 race is another Go Racing-owned runner in Etna Rosso, who is currently at $11. Both are trained by Champion trainer Chris Waller, who is looking to land his seventh Metropolitan and has Birdman ($6), Travolta ($8), and More Felons ($18) competing.
Soul Of Spain has drawn barrier 11 of 18 and will have Zac Lloyd on board, while Etna Rosso will jump from barrier two with Jay Ford in the saddle.
Waller described the Go Racing pair as ready to peak.
“He’s a good honest horse, he’s a nice horse, he helps himself, barrier is OK, distance, no problem, he’s ready to peak,” he said of Soul Of Spain.
“Etna Rosso has drawn well, he’s going well, second up was a great run over 2000m, he’s ready to peak here.”
Soul Of Spain has won his last four races, he is unbeaten in three starts this season, and he comes into the race as the last start winner of the Gr.3 Newcastle Cup (2300m).
“He looks to be a stayer of real promise,” Go Racing’s Matt Allnutt said. “He’s still lightly raced, but he’s a really exciting talent.
“He was purchased from the UK, where he won one race, and he has come down and just grown another leg, he’s fitted into the Australian racing scene so well.
“He will need luck from barrier 11 but Zac Lloyd was determined to stick with him and he gets in with 50.5kgs to carry.”
Etna Rosso produced an eye-catching run when finishing third behind Birdman in the Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) last start.
“His run in the Kingston Town was awesome,” Allnutt said. “He made up so much ground, he took a lot of ground off Birdman who has drawn wide, so he will more than likely be spotting him a few lengths at the top of the straight so if he runs up to what he did last start, he could be right there.
“The 2400m holds no fears, Jay Ford rides at 50kgs and he should get a lovely run from barrier two.”
Both Soul Of Spain and Etna Rosso are graduates of Go Racing’s successful dual-hemisphere racing model, where they have been purchasing two-year-olds, in partnership with Blandford Bloodstock’s Stuart Boman, in the United Kingdom to race with trainer Joseph O’Brien, before bringing them to Australia to target the lucrative prizemoney on offer with Waller.
Carded as Race 9, the Metropolitan jumps at 7:45pm Saturday NZ time.
Go Racing’s other Group One contender on Saturday, Lord Penman is somewhat of a surprise entry in the feature race of the day, the A$1.5 million Gr.1 TAB Epsom (1600m).
“Lord Penman was also nominated for a benchmark 94 race over 1600m on Saturday, but Chris thinks the Epsom is the better option for him.”
Formerly trained by Stephen Marsh in New Zealand, Lord Penman has had two starts in Australia for Chris Waller, finishing second in a benchmark 94 race Rosehill over 1200m in mid-August and seventh of eleven in his last start at Randwick in a benchmark 88 race over 1600m.
“He’s the lowest rated horse in the field and it’s a huge rise in class for him but we trust Chris’s judgement, and we’ll go to the Epsom,” Allnutt said.
“He was really good when second two starts ago, he was a bit unlucky that day and then he was incredibly unlucky last start. He went to the line under a stranglehold, and he just didn’t get clear room at any stage of the straight. So, he could have been going into Saturday’s race with two wins if luck had been on his side.”
Lord Penman has drawn barrier 10 of 14 and he will be ridden by Zac Lloyd.
The Gr.1 TAB Epsom is Race 8, and it jumps at 7.10pm NZ time.
“It’s obviously an exciting day for us,” Allnutt said. “It’s hugely exciting to have three Group One runners on the one day at Randwick.
“You need everything going your way to win any race let alone a Group One in Australia but we’re there, we’ve got live chances.
“We’re really looking forward to the day. A good group of owners are going to be there, we’ll have numbers on course, and with a bit of luck, hopefully we can bring home a Group One.”
Photo: Soul Of Spain winning the Gr.3 Newcastle Cup. Bradley Photography.