Trainer James Cummings believes the Flemington straight first-up will suit his Sydney raider Hair Trigger this Saturday in Melbourne with the colt making his three-year-old debut in the 2016 Danehill Stakes.
Defcon is the pre-field 2016 Danehill Stakes favourite for this Saturday’s three-year-old sprint at Flemington Racecourse. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
A nicely-bred son of Smart Missile, Hair Trigger has had three runs to date all in non-Black Type company in Sydney.
He faces a notable task on Makybe Diva Stakes Day running in Victoria and stakes’ company for the first time in the $200,000 Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m).
The three-years-old sprint attracted 20 nominations on Monday and Cummings confirmed to Racenet he would accept for his horse Hair Trigger to take on the likes of Group 3 McNeil Stakes winner Defcon and Up & Coming Stakes runner-up Derryn.
“He’s a budding talent. I really looking forward to see where he sits against the good colts on Saturday,” Cummings said.
“I think he’s got a similar profile going into the race as Charlie Boy [in 2013] had a few years back going into the Danehill.
“He’s building and the Danehill is a big step but if he can run well against these horses it opens up a lot of options.”
Hair Trigger was last seen running a close third when only 1.6 lengths behind the Gerald Ryan-trained Tango Rain (1st) and subsequent The Rosebud winner Thronum (2nd) – who runs in the $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) in Sydney on Saturday – in a 1200m two-years-old handicap at Canterbury on July 23.
That race was run on a Heavy (8) and Hair Trigger has since pleased Cummings with a winning Randwick trial, also run on Heavy going, over 1045m on Monday.
“He hasn’t had his head out of the feed bin since coming back and I was really happy with the way he trialled yesterday,” Cummings said.
“I think Flemington will suit him and I think he’s got a bit of bottom to him.
“He’s not the sort of horse that has a short, sharp sprint.
“I think he’ll run well.”
Current pre-field Danehill Stakes betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au have the aforementioned Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Defcon as the $6 favourite to win back-to-back Group races this time in.
Hair Trigger meanwhile is rated a $15 chance in an open line-up and is also nominated for the $1 million Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) over the mile on October 8.
2016 Caulfield Guineas first acceptances are released on Tuesday afternoon, Hair Trigger paying $51 in the current all-in markets for the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival classic.
Back your favourite three-year-old this weekend and further ahead over the carnival in both Sydney and Melbourne at the right price through Ladbrokes.com.au!
