Fresh off her Group 3 win at the track in her Adelaide debut, Gai Waterhouse’s smart Sydney filly Driefontein will look to continue her Morphettville assault in this Saturday’s Robert Sangster Stakes 2014.
RN Irwin Stakes winner Driefontein backs up int he 2014 Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide this weekend. Photo: Jenny Barnes.
A race won two years ago by Australia’s best mare Black Caviar, this year’s $400,000 Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (Sportingbet Classic) (1200m) has attracted a top final field of 14 fillies and mares.
One of the sure-to-be favourites in the mix, despite a wide barrier 11 draw, is Waterhouse’s visiting daughter of Fastnet Rock Driefontein who won the Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) here on April 12.
The former star juvenile will now look to break her Group 1 duck when she faces a similar field in the Robert Sangster Stakes this weekend.
Runner-up in the RN Irwin, Platelet, is then the other big name acceptor for Saturday’s classic.
Darren Weir’s Strategic mare won the Robert Sangster last autumn on the back of an RN Irwin second and will be out to repeat the feat again this year.
She also won last year’s Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) one run after the Robert Sangster and so will be a dangerous force again here from barrier five with Brad Rawiller to ride.
Along with Driefontein there are then three other last start winners in the Robert Sangster Stakes this year including the Robert Smerdon-trained Shamal Wind.
Drawn one inside of Platelet with gate four and Mark Zahra riding, Dubawi four-year-old Shamal Wind is two from three this prep following a two length win down the straight six at Flemington from April 5.
Shamal Wind will be looking to continue her good form as she has her second shot at the Robert Sangster following a ninth last year when beaten four lengths.
The other last start winners in the mix are then the Mick Price-trained Halle Rocks (barrier 12) coming off a 1100m Caulfield win and Smerdon’s Street Sense filly Politeness (barrier eight) who is also nominated for the $400,000 Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) in Sydney this Saturday.
Politeness won the Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes (1200m) in the wet at Randwick from barrier 18 of 18 on April 12 so the All Aged looks a lovely target if she makes the cut.
Other notable raiders in the mix include the Peter Moody-trained Redoute’s Choice four-year-old A Time For Julia coming off ace form in Melbourne and Sydney, and David Hayes’ Group 1 performer Gregers.
After a first up Group 3 Bellmaine Stakes win at Caulfield in early February, A Time For Julia has run top four in her subsequent three runs including a close fourth to Steps In Time in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill last month.
Commands filly Gregers also comes off a good Group 1 run, the three-year-old having finished just half a length away fourth to Spirit Of Boom in the William Reid at Moonee Valley on March 21.
As for the local hopes there’s the Daniel Clarken-trained Miracles Of Life coming off a second at the track from April 12 in the Redelva Stakes, along with a duo from Phillip Stokes’s stables.
Miracles Of Life, to be ridden by Lauren Stojakovic, has the far outside barrier (14) to overcome while Stokes’ two are drawn well in barriers two (Just Discreet) and three (Molto Bene).
While Royal Academy four-year-old Molto Bene has improving to do on her first-up ninth in the RN Irwin, Just Discreet caught the eye last time out when third in the traditional Robert Sangster lead-up.
See below for the full Robert Sangster Stakes 2014 field, barriers and jockeys.
Robert Sangster Stakes odds are set to be released at our preferred online bookie Ladbrokes.com.au shortly so make sure you’ve got an open with them to get in on the action!
2014 Robert Sangster Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
Morphettville Race 7 – 3:45pm (local) – 26/04/2014
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11x4150x12 | PLATELET | Darren Weir | Brad Rawiller | 5 | 56.5kg | 112 |
| 2 | x154x41651 | DRIEFONTEIN | Gai Waterhouse | Vlad Duric | 11 | 56.5kg | 108 |
| 3 | x15262x171 | SHAMAL WIND | Robert Smerdon | Mark Zahra | 4 | 56.5kg | 105 |
| 4 | x2350x1214 | A TIME FOR JULIA | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 9 | 56.5kg | 102 |
| 5 | x40019x007 | SATIN SHOES | Clarry Conners | Jason Holder | 7 | 56.5kg | 102 |
| 6 | 379x1109x9 | MOLTO BENE | Phillip Stokes | Dom Tourneur | 3 | 56.5kg | 97 |
| 7 | 108720×043 | JUST DISCREET | Phillip Stokes | Matthew Neilson | 2 | 56.5kg | 95 |
| 8 | 04060×2235 | YOU’RE SO GOOD (NZ) | Nigel Blackiston | Steven Arnold | 1 | 56.5kg | 92 |
| 9 | 6103376501 | HALLE ROCKS | Mick Price | Dean Yendall | 12 | 56.5kg | 89 |
| 10 | 543138×622 | GIG | Shawn Mathrick | Dwayne Dunn | 13 | 56.5kg | 85 |
| 11 | 0x2440x138 | VILLA VERDE | Anthony Cummings | Michael Rodd | 6 | 54.5kg | 105 |
| 12 | 11x427x622 | MIRACLES OF LIFE | Daniel Clarken | Ms Lauren Stojakovic | 14 | 54.5kg | 101 |
| 13 | 115132×424 | GREGERS | David Hayes | Craig Williams | 10 | 54.5kg | 96 |
| 14 | 113737×621 | POLITENESS | Robert Smerdon | TBA | 8 | 54.5kg | 91 |
