Front running sprinter I’m A Rippa can make it back to back victories in the Listed $175,000 City Of Ipswich Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich if he can return to winning form.
I’m A Rippa, above, is chasing back to back Eye Liner Stakes wins at Ipswich. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Tony Gollan trained I’m A Rippa was an all the way winner in last year’s Eye Liner Stakes and from barrier three, Larry Cassidy will be bale to find the front easily and dictate from the front again.
I’m A Rippa has only found the winner’s stall on one occasion during the last twelve months with a victory in the Group 3 $200,000 George Moore Stakes (1200m) at Doomben over the 2018-2019 Brisbane Summer Carnival but the five year old showed that he has lost none of his gate speed after carting the Stradbroke Handicap field into the home straight before fading to finish fifteenth in the $1.5m Group 1 over 1400m at Eagle Farm last Saturday.
“I’m not concerned with the back-up,” Gollan told Racing Queensland News Desk.
“He ran third when he backed up in a strong Group 3 race and he’ll appreciate dropping back to this class.
“He’s been running in Group 1 races of late and he showed he’s not quite up to that grade.
“He also doesn’t like Eagle Farm that much and he’ll be much better off around Ipswich.”
I’m A Rippa never shirks his task and also led the field up in the Group 1 $800,000 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) at Doomben on May 11 before finishing tenth and then set the pace again before running third in the Group 3 $140,000 Bernborough Ascot BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben a week later.
I’m A Rippa has been marked as an $8 chance at Ladbrokes.com.au to win back to Eye Liner Stakes while the Desleigh Forster trained Chapter And Verse is the current $4.80 favourite despite having too jump from gate fourteen.
Gollan will also saddle up $14 chances Natch (Brad Stewart, barrier 15) and Snitch (Glen Boss, barrier 1) as well as the $21 outsider Coldstone (Ryan Maloney, barrier 5).
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