Last start Coolmore Legacy Stakes winner Kenedna and the Chris Waller trained Youngstar are sharing favouritism for today’s Group 2 $500,000 A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) following the scratching of Shillelagh after the Gold Coast track was rated a heavy 8 this morning.
Kenedna, above, is equal favourite for the 2019 A.D. Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Officials at the Gold Coast put up the heavy rating after the track received 10mm of rain in the last twenty-four hours which took the week’s total rainfall to 21.5mm.
The heavy track conditions has seen the scratching of the highly fancied Shillelagh who had very ordinary wet track form with a zero from four record on the heavy.
Shillelagh had been high up in the betting at Ladbrokes.com.au and her withdrawal this morning has left a traffic jam at the top of the market order with Kenedna and Youngstar sharing the top spot at $4.40 while Shillelagh’s stablemate Mister Sea Wolf is also challenging for favouritism at $4.60.
The Ciraon Maher and David Eustace trained Kenedna has been tested once on the heavy for a win while Youngstar has three wins on a soft rated track and one third placing on the heavy.
Mister Sea Wolf, who is coming off a last start win in the Group 3 $160,000 Doncaster Prelude (1500m) at Rosehill on March 30, can handle all sorts of surfaces and has won on good, soft and heavy tracks.
Kenedna is coming off a last start win in the Group 1 $1m Coolmore Legacy Stakes (1600m) at Randwick Day Two of The Championships on April 13 while Youngstar only appeared once during the 2019 Sydney Autumn Carnival with a twelfth to Pierata in the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 20.
The race morning scratching of Shillelagh sees first emergency Hallelujah Boy gain a spot in the fourteen horse A.D. Hollindale Stakes field and the Kris Lees trained gelding is listed as a $14 chance with Ladbrokes.com.au.
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