Group 1 winner Streets Of Avalon will have the blinkers back on when he kicks off his 2020 Spring Carnival campaign in Saturday’s Group 3 $128,000 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Streets Of Avalon, above, will have the blinkers back on in the Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Streets Of Avalon wore the blinkers when he led all of the way to win the Group 1 $500,000 PFD Food Services Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield during the 2020 Melbourne Autumn Carnival.
Trainer Shane Nichols decided to remove the head gear at his next start in the for the $5m All-Star Mile (1600m) but after racing on the pace, Streets Of Avalon faded to finish in twelfth position.
“The blinkers will be back on,” Nichols told racing.com.
“We only took them off out to the mile, but he’s hardly had a run without them.”
Streets Of Avalon is one of fourteen nominations for the Bletchingly Stakes and Nicholas said that the rising six year old has returned from a spell in great order.
“He’s in super order, he only had four runs last time in because we weren’t sure what was happening with Brisbane and the Stradbroke and so we just stopped and went to the paddock,” Nichols said.
“He’s had longer off and had nowhere near as hard a campaign as he’d normally have so consequently, he’s probably carrying a bit of condition.
“He trialled on a wet surface the other day at Mornington and he was good but he doesn’t let go on the wet and we didn’t let him rip so he’ll have a strong gallop tomorrow (Tuesday) and hopefully he’ll be right for Saturday.”
The Caulfield track was rated a Soft 6 on Monday and Nichols is hoping the weather stays reasonably fine and the track doesn’t get any worse for the weekend.
“It looks like the weather forecast is that it should only be a (Soft) 5 or better,” he said.
Veteran sprinter Jungle Edge is also among the nominations for the Bletchingly Stakes and trainer Mick Bell won’t mind if a few more showers arrive in the lead up to Saturday.
Jungle Edge is a noted mudlark with all of his nineteen wins on rain affected tracks and the rising ten year old is coming off a last start win on a heavy track in the Group 3 $128,000 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on July 11.
The Melbourne Racing Club has extended the nominations for the Bletchingly Stakes until 10am on Tuesday, July 21, 2020.
Nominations for the 2020 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m)
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2235x6111x | COMING AROUND | G | 4 | Brent Stanley | 81 |
| 2 | 3x1390x25x | EXPRESS PASS | G | 3 | Nick Ryan | 70 |
| 3 | 2211x0x162 | GREAT AGAIN | G | 7 | Lindsey Smith | 100 |
| 4 | 8x214x1108 | HIGHTAIL | G | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 94 |
| 5 | 02x00x3153 | I AM SOMEONE | G | 5 | Paul Preusker | 97 |
| 6 | 5831486620 | I’M TELLING YA | G | 6 | Amy & Ash Yargi | 75 |
| 7 | 7×13301051 | JUNGLE EDGE | G | 9 | Mick Bell | 107 |
| 8 | 63×5640472 | MISS IANO | M | 6 | Mark C Webb | 86 |
| 9 | 0x9680497x | RED ALTO | G | 7 | Brent Stanley | 84 |
| 10 | 31x00x3091 | SHE SHAO FLY | F | 3 | Kevin Corstens | 76 |
| 11 | x1515x0801 | SIGNORE FOX | H | 4 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 98 |
| 12 | 0189x3210x | STREETS OF AVALON | G | 5 | Shane Nichols | 110 |
| 13 | 4017×45412 | VIRIDINE | G | 5 | James Cummings | 105 |
| 14 | 17x539265x | WIDGEE TURF | G | 6 | Patrick Payne | 101 |
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