Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Vigor - Predatory Pricer - C'est La Guerre

SMH
John Schell
October 15, 2009


Corey Brown isn't fazed at having to contend with the outside barrier on one-time Caulfield Cup favourite Vigor in Saturday's $2.5 million feature. ''What can you do?'' said Brown, who will ride Vigor at 51 kilograms in the group 1 event. ''It will be right. He'll push forward with no weight on his back and slot into a position. He did draw inside in the Turnbull and got smashed, so an outside draw isn't all that bad.''

Vigor's trainer, Danny O'Brien, didn't want an inside alley for the galloper but he wasn't overly rapt with the outside draw.

''It's probably better than barrier one but it certainly doesn't help your confidence going into an 18-horse handicap,'' O'Brien said. ''You need everything to go right and it's no help when you have to give away an advantage like that.''

O'Brien, who will also start 2007 winner Master O'Reilly in the 2400-metre contest, unearthed a Victoria Derby prospect when Spacecraft toughed it out best to win the Pura Light Start Plate at Caulfield yesterday with Caulfield Guineas-winning jockey Danny Nikolic in the saddle.

O'Brien said Spacecraft would contest the AAMI Vase at Moonee Valley on Saturday week en route to the Victoria Derby.

PRICER'S RIGHT

Caulfield Cup equal-second favourite Predatory Pricer is still the horse to beat in the race despite drawing barrier 16, trainer Paul Murray said yesterday. ''I still think that whatever beats him will be winning,'' he said.

''There is speed drawn inside and outside of him so hopefully Kingy [jockey Steven King] can get in somewhere and get him to settle.''

Predatory Pricer was nabbed late when second to 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient in the Turnbull Stakes at his latest start.

TAB Sportsbet made Predatory Pricer an $8.50 chance alongside Cima De Triomphe, behind only Kirklees ($8), at the conclusion of yesterday's barrier draw.

C'EST LA VIE

Nick Williams, son of former Crown Casino boss and big-time thoroughbred investor Lloyd Williams, declared the Caulfield Cup to be ''a great race'' that is within the capabilities of last year's Melbourne Cup third placegetter C'est La Guerre. ''He's in the race up to his eyeballs,'' Williams said yesterday after it drew barrier 13. ''We've got a good jockey on in Steven Arnold and the horse is going great. I'd love to see some rain for him as he loves the sting out of the ground. He's as good a chance in the race as anything.''

Williams said the Caulfield Cup had always been ''so hard to win'', which is why the family tended to ''stay away from it unless we've got a horse really suited''. He said it was a race suited to ''up-and-comers'' or a horse which had ''beaten the handicapper''.

No comments:

Post a Comment