Godolphin’s last start Winter Dash winner Viridine is tipped as the horse to beat again this weekend in the Sir John Monash Stakes 2020 with the smart sprinter sitting top of the odds on the Caulfield feature.
Viridine is tipped as the sprinter to beat in Saturday’s 2020 Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield. Photo: Steve Hart.
The Group 3 $128,000 Neds Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) highlights the race card in Melbourne on Saturday and the popular weight-for-age event has attracted a small but quality field of nine hopefuls.
Heading the current Sir John Monash Stakes odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au is James Cummings’ Poet’s Voice five-year-old Viridine at $2.60, the horse drawn ideally in barrier two with Damien Oliver to ride.
Oliver chases his third Sir John Monash Stakes win in 20 years having previously ridden Regal Shot (2001) and Wild Rain (2016) to victory in the Melbourne Winter Carnival showdown.
Group 2 winner Viridine has had Oliver aboard once before when finishing a midfield seventh to Hey Doc in Perth’s Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) in November last year.
The galloper presents fit third-up in the Sir John Monash Stakes on the back of two good June runs in Sydney, the first when two lengths back fourth to Classique Legend in the Listed June Stakes (1100m).
Viridine improved next-up on June 20 relishing a Heavy (9) Randwick track to win the $100,000 Winter Dash (1200m) carrying 61kg and should be flying coming back to 58.5kg at WFA on Saturday.
It is an open edition of the Sir John Monash Stakes outside the top elect with a further five runners under $10 for the win including veteran mudlark Jungle Edge at $4.60 to go one better than his second to Oak Door in last year’s race.
The horse that just keeps on giving, Mick Bell’s rising 10-year-old was in the winner’s stall only this May winning the Group 3 DC McKay Stakes (1100m) in Adelaide over the short sprint distance.
He was outclassed on a Soft (5) Morphettville track next-up as a 40/1 outsider in the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) before a credible fifth in the June Stakes behind Classique Legend carrying 60kg last time out.
“I think he gets his chance this time,” Bell told AAP on Monday.
“The track will be Soft by the look of it and there doesn’t seem to be any world-beaters amongst them, but in saying that these races are never easy to win.
“He seems to be in the race right up to his ears.”
I Am Someone occupies the third line of Sir John Monash Stakes betting at $7.50, the Paul Preusker-trained gelding on the quick back-up off a Finals Day run at Flemington last weekend.
The five-year-old had won a heat at HQ on June 20 before lining-up as one of the top fancies in the Listed all Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m), but only managed to run 3.75 lengths back for fifth to Lord Von Costa.
He drops in distance this weekend and has a proven record over the 1100m (9:3-3-2), but will need to be at his best against this class of rivals on the seven-day turnaround.
Tavisan ($8) who ran dead last (10th) in the All Victorian Sprint Series Final last Saturday and the rails-drawn Dash For Cash mare Grey Shadow ($8.50) are the next best in betting before Ashlor ($9) rounds out the single-figure fancies.
Along with the favourite Viridine, the Dan McCarthy-trained Ashlor is the only other last start winner in the Sir John Monash Stakes field this season.
The six-year-old son of Hard Spun saluted narrowly at The Valley on June 13 carrying 54.5kg in a handicap sprint over 1200m, and so could be stretched to his limit going up four kilos and notably in grade here.
Click here for the latest Sir John Monash Stakes 2020 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2020 Sir John Monash Stakes Field & Barriers
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Penalty | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x7x1330105 | JUNGLE EDGE | Mick Bell | Ms Jade Darose | 6 | 58.5kg | 106 | |
| 2 | 04017×4541 | VIRIDINE | James Cummings | Damien Oliver | 2 | 58.5kg | 105 | |
| 3 | 6541324941 | ASHLOR | Dan McCarthy | Daniel Stackhouse | 9 | 58.5kg | 98 | |
| 4 | 1490860629 | SNITZKRAFT | Phillip Stokes | Jye McNeil | 7 | 58.5kg | 94 | |
| 5 | 53x77550x5 | INTUITION | Kurt Goldman | Dwayne Dunn | 8 | 58.5kg | 94 | |
| 6 | 102x00x315 | I AM SOMEONE | Paul Preusker | Declan Bates | 3 | 58.5kg | 97 | |
| 7 | 7168×54130 | TAVISAN (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Ben Melham | 4 | 58.5kg | 94 | |
| 8 | 9x428x4294 | SPIRIT OF AQUADA | Gareth Andrews | Luke Nolen | 5 | 58.5kg | 76 | |
| 9 | 3x10x35068 | GREY SHADOW | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Jamie Kah | 1 | 56.5kg | 90 |
*Table Credit: Racing Australia.
