The Lindsay Park-trained favourite for Monday’s Group 2 $400,000 Adelaide Cup (3200m) Fanatic has come up trumps with barrier three in the 18 starter field of stayers.
A public holiday in South Australia, a big crowd is set to gather at Morphettville Racecourse for this year’s Adelaide Cup Day highlight where the bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au are tipping well-bred five-year-old mare Fanatic.
The daughter of 2009 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking sits as the $4.80 favourite in Adelaide Cup betting following the final acceptances on Tuesday.
Fanatic firmed in the markets after she drew ideally in barrier three with Michael Walker continuing his successful association in the saddle.
Chasing her first victory since the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) over the same two mile distance last November, the mare comes off a good second to Aloft from last Saturday’s Listed Roy Higgins Quality (2600m).
The Roy Higgins Quality form held-up in last year’s Adelaide Cup results with Annus Mirabilis (2017) improving on a lead-up fifth.
Along with the top fancy Fanatic, the David Hayes-led Lindsay Park operation saddle-up two other in-form Adelaide Cup horses in 2018 with Al Haram (14) coming off a second over 3000m at Moonee Valley from February 23 and High Chaparral mare Raindrops On Roses (13) who won at The Valley last Friday night over 2500m.
The other best out of the Roy Higgins Quality on Australian Guineas Day backing-up in the bumper Adelaide Cup field this autumn meanwhile is the Darren Weir-trained third placegetter Ormito.
A German-bred son of Mamool, the five-year-old has finished top three in all three of his runs this year going back to Flemington’s Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) on New Year’s Day.
He then finished only a quarter-length third to Double Bluff in last Month’s Listed Torney Cup (2500m) at The Valley before the solid effort in the Roy Higgins that he will look to improve on heading up to 3200m for the first time down under from a nice barrier five draw.
Weir has accepted for three Adelaide Cup hopefuls with Ormito joined by stablemates Poppiholla (11) and the well-supported Master Of Arts who has work to do from barrier 16 with Brad Rawiller aboard.
Carrying the equal 59kg Adelaide Cup top weight along with Kiwi raider Benzini, Master Of Arts comes off a second in last Saturday’s Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes (2600m).
The Lord Reims Stakes winner Etah James is a notable omission from the Adelaide Cup field this year leaving Master Of Arts and the third placed Benzini, drawn Monday’s outside barrier (18), to frank the form of the traditional Morphettville lead-up.
Six-year-old Mastercraftsman grey Master Of Arts has a strong Morphettville track record of two wins, a second and a third from four runs at the course including his third in the Adelaide Cup trifecta last year.
Local South Australian Clare Lindop meanwhile has her final Adelaide Cup ride, the retiring hoop booked to partner the Grant Young-trained Viscount nine-year-old Tunes for his 25th run at the track.
Tunes was second to Purple Smile in the Adelaide Cup in 2016, while last year’s runner-up Double Bluff is back out to go one better this year with Mark Zahra aboard the Robbie Laing-trained recent Torney Cup winner in gate seven.
Lindop is after a second Adelaide Cup success having partnered Exalted Time to victory back in 2006.
Field for the Group 2 $400,000 Adelaide Cup (3200m)
Morphettville Racecourse – Monday March 12, 2018
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x474583833 | BENZINI | James Bull | Ms Rosie Myers | 18 | 59kg | 98 |
| 2 | 4813×56672 | MASTER OF ARTS (NZ) | Darren Weir | Brad Rawiller | 16 | 59kg | 98 |
| 3 | 023×099115 | DOUBLE BLUFF (IRE) | Robbie Laing | Mark Zahra | 7 | 58.5kg | 97 |
| 4 | 046811×752 | FANATIC (NZ) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Michael Walker | 3 | 57.5kg | 99 |
| 5 | 4×43211413 | PRETTY PUNK | Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas | TBA | 8 | 57kg | 98 |
| 6 | x3270x3426 | JIM’S JOURNEY | Peter Blanch | Paul Gatt | 10 | 56kg | 92 |
| 7 | 1611221214 | EXALTED LIGHTNING | Grant Young | Todd Pannell | 2 | 54.5kg | 89 |
| 8 | 73166×5108 | LIKE A CAROUSEL | Ken Keys | Jye McNeil | 1 | 54kg | 88 |
| 9 | 58×6916122 | O’LONERA | Cindy Alderson | Dwayne Dunn | 17 | 54kg | 88 |
| 10 | x277x84332 | AL HARAM (FR) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Michael Dee | 14 | 53kg | 84 |
| 11 | x054572333 | ORMITO (GER) | Darren Weir | Craig Williams | 5 | 53kg | 82 |
| 12 | 2028725622 | TUNES | Grant Young | Clare Lindop | 6 | 53kg | 78 |
| 13 | 02041×8446 | KHEZERABAD (FR) | Aaron Purcell | Chris Symons | 9 | 53kg | 76 |
| 14 | 3715973319 | FLYING CASINO | John Hickmott | TBA | 12 | 53kg | 75 |
| 15 | 26×4103521 | RAINDROPS ON ROSES | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Jamie Kah | 13 | 53kg | 75 |
| 16 | x26113x315 | DIAMOND GRACE | Michael Kent | Beau Mertens | 4 | 53kg | 74 |
| 17 | 8018692015 | CUBAN FIGHTER | Robbie Laing | Ben Thompson (a) | 15 | 53kg | 67 |
| 18 | 7667325223 | POPPIHOLLA (NZ) | Darren Weir | Dean Yendall | 11 | 53kg | 67 |
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