The drop back in distance to 1600m in Saturday’s Group 2 $500,000 Sky Racing W.A. Guineas at Ascot in Perth is no worries for Junipal, according to apprentice Ben Allen.
Apprentice Ben Allen, above, rides Junipal in the 2018 W.A. Guineas at Ascot in Perth. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Ben Allen takes over the reins from John Allen who was aboard Junipal for his last start second to Vow And Declare in the 1800m Listed $150,000 TCL TV Stakes at Flemington on Kennedy Oaks Day on November 8.
Junipal failed by a nose to run down the winner but Ben Allen said that if the Darren Weir trained colt can show the same turn of foot over the 1600m, he will be right in the finish again.
“Back in distance and over a mile… if he shows the turn of foot he did last start he should be pretty hard to beat,” Allen told racing.com.
“I think he’s got a strong chance in the Guineas.”
“He ran super last start. With the blinkers on for the first time, he just looked to get a little bit lost.
“We’ve drawn a nice gate (barrier six) so he’ll just be probably midfield in a position where he’s comfortable.”
Junipal is well in the betting for the W.A. Guineas at $8 with Ladbrokes.com.au who have the locally trained filly Arcadia Queen as the short priced $2.60 favourite.
The lightly raced Arcadia Queen has drawn barrier three in the capacity sixteen horse W.A. Guineas field with William Pike taking over the reins from Chris Parnham who partnered the Pierro filly to a emphatic last start win in the Group 3 $200,000 W.A. Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) at Ascot in Perth last Saturday.
The training partnership of Grant and Alana Williams could have a possible four runners in the W.A. Guineas field and as well as Arcadia Queen, will saddle up outsiders True Defender (Craig Newitt, barrier 2), True Attractions (Peter Hall, barrier 5) and second emergency Regal Power (barrier 11) if he gains a start in the final field.
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