Tye Angland and Ace High have won the $500,000 Group 2 Hill Stakes in emphatic fashion at Randwick on Saturday.
Firming from $3.70 into $3.00 very late with Ladbrokes, the champion Group 1 winner was a class above the other nine runners, exploding in the final furlong to outlast second-elect Egg Tart and It’s Somewhat to win by two lengths.
Ace High, above, has firmed onto the second line of betting ahead of October’s Caulfield Cup.
After placing fourth in the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) on the same track a fortnight ago, many thought the 2000m distance looked a bit beyond the four-year old at this stage in his prep.
Sitting well back off the pace looked to be a smart decision from Angland though, as Ace High’s fourth-up run has him destined for a Cup appearance in Melbourne later this year.
Already nominated for October’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), Ace High has firmed into $12.00 ahead of the $5 million race. David Payne’s prized gelding is also nominated for the the Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 6.
Ace High’s connections will now be hoping he can repeat on Hartnell’s success in 2016. The multiple Group 1 winning import won the Hill Stakes, followed by success in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes two week’s later at Flemington before finishing runner-up in the Cox Plate (2040m).
