Smart filly Sunlight will take on the colts when she lines up in the Group 1 $1m Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Sunlight, above, will take on the colts in the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Steve Hart.
Sunlight has only missed the placings once from eleven starts and that was last start when seventh to Brave Smash in the Group 1 $1m Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley last Friday night.
The Zoustar filly didn’t show her customary speed out of the barriers in the Manikato Stakes and was subsequently boxed in behind the leading division and was never in a position to challenge the placegetters.
Trainer Tony McEvoy is willing to forget the run and give her a chance to set the record straight against her own age group before heading for a break.
“She was high kicking off the track yesterday morning so she is really well,” McEvoy told Ladbrokes’ Moody On The Mic.
“It was never really my plan to take on the boys in this race. I thought the Manikato and then to the paddock, but she didn’t have a race so we are going to head there.”
“Luke Currie is back on.”
Luke Currie is back in the saddle again on Sunlight after riding her two starts back for an all the way win in the Group 3 $150,000 Thoroughbred Club Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on October 13.
Sunlight has drawn barrier seven in the ten horse Coolmore Stud Stakes and her only other scamper down the Flemington straight resulted in a third in the Listed $120,000 Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at her first race starts in October 2017.
Trainer Grahame Begg’s in-form colt Written By has drawn barrier six with Jordan Childs retaining the mount after the pair combined for two recent wins at Caulfield in a 1000m three year old Plate and in the Group 3 $350,000 Catanach’s Jewellers Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on October 17.
Sydney’s leading trained Chris Waller will have two runners in Zousain (James McDonald, barrier 4) and Lean Mean Machine (Hugh Bowman, barrier 3) while James Cummings will saddle up Encryption (Craig Williams, barrier 10).
Final field for the 2018 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m)
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1x1114x11 | WRITTEN BY | Grahame Begg | Jordan Childs | 6 | 57kg | 104 |
| 2 | 146122×42 | ZOUSAIN | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 4 | 57kg | 100 |
| 3 | 25166×8512 | ENCRYPTION | James Cummings | Craig Williams | 10 | 57kg | 95 |
| 4 | 13310×15 | LEAN MEAN MACHINE | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | 3 | 57kg | 96 |
| 5 | x10649x283 | LONG LEAF | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Mark Zahra | 8 | 57kg | 82 |
| 6 | 72154×1 | SESAR | Steven O’Dea | Kerrin McEvoy | 5 | 57kg | 92 |
| 7 | 323x81x80 | PAQUIRRI | Gary Moore | Michael Walker | 2 | 57kg | 80 |
| 8 | 2×11 | DIPLOMATICO | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Brenton Avdulla | 9 | 57kg | 79 |
| 9 | 1214267 | THORONDOR | Robbie Laing | Damien Oliver | 1 | 57kg | 76 |
| 10 | 11113×2117 | SUNLIGHT | Tony McEvoy | Luke Currie | 7 | 55kg | 100 |
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