Durban July winner Marinaresco is second favourite for Saturday’s Sun Met as he was 12 months ago when it all went pear-shaped.
“He had a nice position on the fence but Grant said he wasn’t happy there and pulled him off it,” Candice Bass-Robinson recalls. The end result was that his mount got too far back and managed only fifth. Expectations are high after the gelding’s encouraging, and not totally trouble-free, run in the Queen’s Plate.
Marinaresco
His trainer said: “He is doing really well and we are confident of a big run assuming all goes well in the race. He is drawn 13 so he is not going to be up with the pace but in any case he likes to be ridden with a chance.”
Mrs Robinson won last year’s CTS 1200 with Live Life and Magical Wonderland is 14-10 favourite to collect after the way she toyed with the opposition in the Sceptre. “I thought she had a winning chance that day but I was surprised how easily she won – and she has taken the race well.”
Stable companion Dutch Philip has been backed from 6-1 to 9-2 second favourite and seemingly punters would be well advised not to take his Diadem flop at face value.
“I am not 100% sure but I think that the little saddle Aldo was using was uncomfortable for him and was pinching him,” his trainer explains. “Going down to the start he didn’t even want to take hold of the bit. With Grant riding him on Saturday he will have a proper saddle.”
Talk Of The Town is 2-1 favourite for the CTS 1600 but it is surprising to see stable companion Ancestry as big as 16-1. After all he is the one with Grade 1 form.
“They are two totally different horses but everything that could have gone wrong with Ancestry this season has gone wrong,” says Joey Ramsden. “What I can tell you is that I cut him straight after his last run and he has been doing exceptionally well since.”
If it wasn’t for Snowdance Ramsden would have the favourite for the Klawerveli Majorca in Just Sensual despite last season’s Fillies Guineas winner’s below par effort in the Sceptre.
Her trainer takes the blame for that and explains: “I did as bad a job with her for that race as I did a good job when she won the Southern Cross on her return in her previous race. I now think that I might have done too much with her.”
By Michael Clower
