The in-form Lanciato is no certainty to take his place in the Group 2 $250,000 The Star Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Lanciato, above in green and brown colours, is no certain starter in the Apollo Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Lanciato still had no jockey declared for him on Thursday afternoon and trainer Mark Newnham had said early in the week that the five year old was not a definite starter in the weight for age contest.
“It’s tempting to go there, but we’re meeting Prized Icon 7kg worse and Endless Drama 5.5kg worse and they will be fitter for their runs so I’ll have a look at the make-up of the field and see where he fits into it before I make up my mind,” Newnham told The Daily Telegraph.
Lanciato is marked at $8.50 for the Apollo Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au and is racing in peak form with wins at his last two starts for apprentice Rachel King who has been engaged to ride the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Global Glamour in the Apollo Stakes.
Lanciato scored a second up win in a 1400m BenchMark 94 Handicap at Randwick on January 6 followed by a win in the Listed $150,000 Carrington Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on January 27.
The only three year old in the Apollo Stakes, Addictive Nature, has been installed as the $3.70 favourite ahead of the Chris Waller trained Comin’ Through at $4.80 and Prized Icon and Endless Drama who share the third line of betting at $5.50.
Addictive Nature has drawn barrier five in the nine horse Apollo Stakes field and will be ridden by Adam Hyeronimus who replaces Jason Collett who will be aboard Comin’ Through (barrier 8).
Collett was aboard the Savabeel colt when he finished a first up third behind Trapeze Artist and Showtime in the Group 2 $200,000 Sydney Markets Limited Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on February 3 and Baker said back on top of the ground would be to his advantage.
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