1 Mean Street – trained by Nakamura Stables

This five year old hasn’t won too often but what he has done is shown a late maturity rate that would put him right in this contest. A winner of the grade two Henry Championship by an easy three lengths last year he went on to run a creditable sixth in the BC Turf before being put away for a deserved end of season rest. He reappeared in an open allowance at SA and looked good in winning by just under a length. Since that seasonal reappearance he has placed twice in black type the most recent being a close third in The Appleton. I like him a lot, he is in form will love this trip and comes from a draw in which he won’t have to work too hard early on.

2 Magic Matty – trained by Chili King Stables

A decent overnight type who showed the type of improvement last time out that make him a dark horse in this race. I am not sure his form or works are quite up to some of these but his last time out win at TAM was pretty impressive and if he can cope with this big step up in class he will run a big race.

3 Seven Years – trained by Alydar Stables

The clear class horse of the race he is now six years old but retains plenty of ability. A winner of this race last year he went on to take both the WO Mile and the BC turf mile. He took a break after a run on dirt and has come back this year in excellent fettle winning the Kilroe Mile in a super-fast time before running a game race in the mud for the MM Mile. You will find it hard to fault his turf form but there is always the nagging doubt at six that he is going to degrade at some point.

4 Nitro Chip – trained by Nakamura Stables

Had a few goes at graded level last year running a career best race in the grade two Seabiscuit Handicap over this trip. He changed hands at the end of last year and his new owner has dropped him in grade after a debut in the San Marcus Stakes saw a pretty average effort. He certainly seems to have appreciated an ease in competition as he won nicely last time out over this trip. He is a good sort, I am not sure he has the class of a couple of his rivals but he is a trier who will do his best and that type of horse is always dangerous.

5 Swizzle Stick – trained by Nj Vets

A lightly raced sort who hasn’t had a sustained run of stakes races but is certainly an able sort and this sort of grade is not beyond him. An Open allowance winner last time in a smart time he was a good third in The Jefferson Cup last year proving he can live with horses at this level. He is right in it but I just don’t think he has the top level form of the best of these.

6 Son Of Ra – trained by Sanny Village

This six year old was a regular winner on the free circuit until he was claimed from Spinetingling early last year. His new owner quickly upped him in grade and on his third start for the new owner he took the grade one Shoemaker Mile and recording high speed figures in the process. He was quick to prove that race was no fluke when running third in the WO Mile and a closing seventh in the BC Mile but was then rested for a few months after a short 2014 campaign. He reappeared in the Kilroe Mile where he looked in need of the race and finished fourth and then came out to run a neck third in the MM Mile in soft ground. He is a class horse and is set to run big here, leave him out of your first three at your peril.

7 Silver Bullet – trained by Joseph Racing

This is another that improved after being bought running in lower grade. He peaked last season in winning the grade one United Nations Stakes over a longer trip and capped off a grand season by finishing ninth in the BC Turf. He has been gently brought back to racing after a break winning a decent open allowance on his second start before very nearly taking the MM Mile last time out failing by just a head. Another class act he is very capable of winning this but if you have to find a chink in his armour it would be a fast mile run on a decent surface.

8 Sri Lanka – trained by Axeman

Yet again a horse that was running in lower grade before being claimed and then improved into a stakes winning router. That first stakes win came in the grade three Bradley handicap where made all and won in hand by a length but he quickly topped that with a win in the GP Turf Handicap at grade one where he got a ton of weight from Seven Years and beat him two lengths. Looking at the weights today he cannot beat that horse again but he is a much improved tough sort who if he gets an uncontested lead may be hard to get past.

SUMMARY

In my mind there are 4 of the 7 runners that stand out and I think they will fill the first four places. You would have to think Seven Years can win but Son Of Ra, Silver bullet and Sri Lanka will be making it very hard for him.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES