The Lindsay Park training team have accepted for a trio of three-year-olds in the H.D.F. McNeil Stakes 2016 field at Caulfield Racecourse this weekend in Melbourne.
Highland Beat (outside) is one of three Lindsay Park-trained runners in the 2016 HDF McNeil Stakes field at Caulfield this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
One of the key acts on the Memsie Stakes Day card, this season’s $150,000 Group 3 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1200m) runs at Caulfield Race 6 at 3:30pm (AEST) and features a 14-starter field.
Three of the final acceptors are prepared by David & Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig including Highland Beat who has come up trumps with barrier three for hoop Damian Lane.
A consistent son of Exceed And Excel, the colt comes off back-to-back seconds at the track.
Lane was aboard in late April when Highland Beat crossed a neck behind Oregon’s Day in the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1200m) before Craig Williams partnered the up-and-comer first-up on August 13 when a half-length second to Russian Revolution in the Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m).
Stablemate Blue Tycoon also enjoyed a nice gate in the HDF McNeil Stakes barrier draw coming up with the inside alley.
Michael Walker stays on the son of Written Tycoon after guiding him to victory over 1100m at Caulfield back in mid-May.
That was Blue Tycoon’s second win from three career starts and Saturday sees him step up to stakes’ company for the first time.
The stable’s final acceptor is Seaburge, Mark Zahra continuing his association with the Sebring colt who is best known for his Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) win at Flemington in March.
Seabruge was last seen racing at Randwick when sixth to Yankee Rose in the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
The headline HDF McNeil Stakes runner meanwhile is the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Defcon in barrier four with Dwayne Dunn in the saddle.
Winner of Canberra’s Group 3 Black Opal Stakes (1400m) in early March, the progressive Choisir colt is out to atone for his last start 13th in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) later that month.
He has trialled nicely twice since in Sydney and debuts in Melbourne this weekend having done some nice lead-up work this way of racing.
Along with Lindsay Park, Mick Price also has multiple acceptors for the set weights and penalties clash this weekend.
Price’s pair China Dream and Hardham are drawn alongside each other in barriers seven and eight respectively and both come off a last start third.
Snitzel colt China Dream ran third at Cranbourne on August 11 in a maiden set weights, while the lightly-raced Hardam was beaten only a half-length when third in the Vain Stakes in just his second career run.
Other notable HDF McNeil Stakes hopes include the John O’Shea-trained Anzac Day Stakes runner-up from April Pyx Chamber, and Clinton McDonald’s Revolving Door who finished third in the VRC Sires’ and sixth in the Vain Stakes.
See below for the full H.D.F. McNeil Stakes 2016 field, barriers and jockeys before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au – home of the weekend’s top racing odds and offers.
2016 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
Caulfield Race 6 (3:30pm) – 27/08/2016
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barier | Weight | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2210x | DEFCON | Peter & Paul Snowden | Dwayne Dunn | 4 | 58.5kg | 80 |
| 2 | 1216x | SEABURGE | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Mark Zahra | 6 | 58.5kg | 80 |
| 3 | 12020212×2 | HIGHLAND BEAT | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Damian Lane | 3 | 56kg | 72 |
| 4 | 35x45512x | PYX CHAMBER | John O’Shea | Michael Dee (a) | 13 | 56kg | 67 |
| 5 | 2x11x | BLUE TYCOON | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Michael Walker | 1 | 56kg | 70 |
| 6 | 413×6 | REVOLVING DOOR | Clinton McDonald | Nicholas Hall | 10 | 56kg | 70 |
| 7 | 1225 | WAZZENME | Stuart Webb | Luke Nolen | 9 | 56kg | 67 |
| 8 | 330×23 | CHINA DREAM | Mick Price | Craig Newitt | 7 | 56kg | 66 |
| 9 | 1×3 | HARDHAM | Mick Price | Damien Oliver | 8 | 56kg | 66 |
| 10 | 1 | AWAKE IN GRINZING (NZ) | Danny O’Brien | Ben Melham | 5 | 56kg | 66 |
| 11 | 26 | SO SI BON | Robbie Laing | TBA | 14 | 56kg | 63 |
| 12 | 67×342 | SIMPLY INVINCIBLE | Peter Morgan & Craig Widdison | TBA | 2 | 56kg | 59 |
| 13 | 5 | I’M TOO HOT | Mark Riley | TBA | 12 | 56kg | 59 |
| 14 | 26x07x | KINETIC DESIGN Stuart Webb | Luke Currie | 11 | 54kg | 66 |
