Rob Heathcote’s rising seven-year-old Excellantes is the top rated and weighted runner for the Ascot Handicap 2014 at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane this Saturday.
Hinkler Handicap winner Excellantes is the top weight for Saturday's Ascot Handicap 2014. Photo: Daniel Costello.
One of two Black Types on the program, this year’s $80,000 Listed PMP Limited Ascot Handicap (1200m) originally attracted a final field of 14 acceptors.
An early scratching of the Craig Martin-trained Jefferson Park however has left 13 hopefuls for the sprint feature lead by the 59kg top weight Excellantes.
The Falvelon gelding, winner of the Listed Hinkler Handicap (1200m) in April, comes off a seventh to Ramornie Handicap hope Big Money in the Group 3 W.J. Healy Stakes (1200m) at the track and distance on June 21.
They carried only 57.5kg that day and while they drop back in class this weekend their big weight is still a notable obstacle to overcome if they are to return to winning form.
Following Excellantes in the Ascot Handicap weights are then the Jason McLachlan-trained Facile Tigre (58kg) who also has the outside draw to contend from, Steel Zip (57kg) who ran fifth in the Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) on the Sunshine Coast last weekend and Seeking More (56kg).
Kelso Wood’s Sequalo four-year-old Seeking More comes off some good winter form at both Doomben and Eagle Farm including their last start third beaten under half a length in the WJ Healy Stakes.
The only other runner above the 54kg minimum is then Mr Favulous for Toowoomba trainer Donald Baker in barrier 12 and coming off back-to-back seconds at the Gold and Sunshine Coasts respectively.
Also coming off nice lead-up form are the likes of last start Ipswich winning mare La Tikka Rosa, Stuart Kendrick’s Avaladyluck and their stablemate Radiant Angel.
Kheleyf filly Radiant Angel has drawn the inside alley as she takes on an older field of rivals on Saturday, the three-year-old last seen winning over 1000m here on June 25 with Tim Bell, staying on for the Ascot Handicap, in the saddle.
Check out the full 2014 Ascot Handicap field, barriers, jockeys and weights.
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2014 Ascot Handicap Final Field & Barrier Draw
Eagle Farm Race 6 (3:08pm) – 05/07/2014
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x301421037 | EXCELLANTES | Robert Heathcote | Damian Browne | 7 | 59kg | 99 |
| 2 | 0x84080x65 | FACILE TIGRE | Jason McLachlan | Eddie Wilkinson | 14 | 58kg | 97 |
| 3 | 3431305665 | STEEL ZIP | Pat Duff | Justin P Stanley | 9 | 57kg | 95 |
| 4 | 4212441453 | SEEKING MORE | Kelso Wood | Michael Cahill | 13 | 56kg | 93 |
| 5 | 9446141822 | MR FAVULOUS | Donald Baker | – | 12 | 54.5kg | 90 |
| 6 | 111x727x5x | BLACK MAGIC | Bruce Brown | – | 5 | 54kg | 91 |
| 7 | 76557×2446 | METALLURGICAL | John P Thompson | Ric McMahon | 3 | 54kg | 88 |
| 8 | 2356×84217 | THEFT | Tony Gollan | Jim Byrne | 10 | 54kg | 87.5 |
| 9 | 22x1254x33 | BYMONASHEE | Brian Smith | Ryan Wiggins | 8 | 54kg | 85 |
| 10 | 1118×34971 | LA TIKKA ROSA | Matthew Dunn | Glen Colless | 6 | 54kg | 84 |
| 11 | 005530×673 | LADY OF HARRODS | Sam Kavanagh | – | 11 | 54kg | 83 |
| 12 | 25227×6272 | AVALADYLUCK | Stuart Kendrick | – | 2 | 54kg | 80 |
| 13 | 11x211385x | JEFFERSON PARK | Craig Martin | – | 4 | 54kg | 80 |
| 14 | 508x1319x1 | RADIANT ANGEL | Stuart Kendrick | Timothy Bell | 1 | 54kg | 73 |
