The Snowden Racing Team expect Calanda to strip a much fitter conveyance when he lines up in the Group 3 $175,000 W.J. Healy Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Calanda, above, has been given the top weight for the 2018 W.J. Healy Stakes at Doomben. Photo by Steve Hart.
Calanda is one of twenty-one sprinters nominated for the W.J. Healy Stakes and stable representative Nikki Hodgson said that Snitzel gelding has taken a lot of improvement out of his first up run that saw him finished third behind The Monstar and Platinum Angel in the Group 2 $175,000 Moreton Cup (1200m) at the Sunshine Coast on June 2.
“He has done really well since his run at the Sunshine Coast. He was first up that day and he was always going to improve,” Hodgson told Sky Racing.
“He has been up here a while now and the warmer weather they do well when they come up here, it’s a bit warmer.”
“He has improved and he will be hard to beat.”
“He is a big horse and does well so the run is always going to improve him.”
Calanda has been given the top weight of 59kg, 3kg more than his neatest rivals Bassett and Upstart Pride.
Team Snowden has also nominated I Thought So for the W.J. Healy Stakes and the So You Think four year old will also strip much fitter following a first up second in the $100,000 The Main Shake Handicap (1100m) followed by a third in the Listed $150,000 June Stakes (1100m) both at Randwick.
I Thought So is also entered for the $100,000 Winter Dash (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Caulfield trainer Mick Price has nominated Bassett for the W.J. Healy Stakes and is hoping the gelding can figure in the major end of the prizemoney after missing out on the minor prizemoney at three runs during the 2018 Queensland Winter Racing Carnival, his latest a fourth to I’m A Rippa in the Listed $175,000 City Of Ipswich Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich last Saturday.
Nominations for the 2018 W.J. Healy Stakes (1200m)
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11x84241x3 | CALANDA | G | 4 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 1 | 59kg | 103 |
| 2 | 3x90x10866 | SPRIGHT | M | 4 | Garry Frazer | 2 | 55kg | 99 |
| 3 | 88×8443554 | BASSETT (NZ) | G | 5 | Mick Price | 3= | 56kg | 97 |
| 4 | x2930410x6 | UPSTART PRIDE | G | 6 | Michael Nolan | 3= | 56kg | 97 |
| 5 | x0287x1414 | IRISH CONSTABULARY | G | 9 | John Symons & Sheila Laxon | 5 | 55kg | 95 |
| 6 | 1111×21721 | GRACIDA | H | 6 | David Vandyke | 6= | 54.5kg | 94 |
| 7 | x20x380x24 | SNOOPY | G | 5 | Chris Munce | 6= | 54.5kg | 94 |
| 8 | 4223270×23 | I THOUGHT SO | G | 4 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 8= | 54kg | 93 |
| 9 | 5x3317x307 | SYLPHEED | M | 4 | Toby Edmonds | 8= | 54kg | 93 |
| 10 | 1x16x12x26 | TUMBLER | M | 6 | Barry Lockwood | 10 | 54kg | 92 |
| 11 | 11x336x715 | HAVASAY | G | 5 | Liam Birchley | 11 | 54kg | 91 |
| 12 | 26x111132x | MALVERN ESTATE | G | 4 | Desleigh Forster | 12= | 54kg | 90 |
| 13 | 1x04436x65 | STELLA OMBRA | G | 5 | Kelly Schweida | 12= | 54kg | 90 |
| 14 | 12879x248x | HIEROGLYPHICS | M | 6 | Stuart Kendrick | 14= | 54kg | 89 |
| 15 | 33×9944343 | SONY LEGEND | G | 7 | Brian Smith | 14= | 54kg | 89 |
| 16 | 0x52122737 | BOOMWAA | G | 6 | Ben Currie | 16= | 54kg | 86 |
| 17 | x6953648x0 | COLOUR CHARGE | G | 7 | Natalie McCall | 16= | 54kg | 86 |
| 18 | 53x261x230 | O’RACHAEL | M | 4 | Toby Edmonds | 18 | 54kg | 83 |
| 19 | x306x457x6 | GIBRALTAR GIRL | M | 4 | Mark Newnham | 19 | 54kg | 82 |
| 20 | 5×73174145 | BEAT STREET | G | 5 | Stuart Kendrick | 20 | 54kg | 81 |
| 21 | 321x132x32 | EXCEEDINGLY | G | 7 | Gillian Heinrich & Ben Rodgers | 21 | 54kg | 75 |
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