Group 1 winning mare Single Gaze might be at long double figure odds for the Group 1 $3.15m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday, but trainer Nick Oliver is still giving her a genuine winning chance.
Single Gaze, above, is rated as one of the outsiders of the 2017 Caulfield Cup at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.
Single Gaze is marked as a $34 chance at Ladbrokes.com.au but only has to carry 53kg in the Caulfield Cup and Olive is happy where the mare is at after running fourth at her last two starts in Group 1 company.
“She meets some better at the weights and some worse but I just think dropping to 53 kilos is going to make a big difference for her,” Oliver told AAP.
“She’s a small horse and she hasn’t carried that sort of weight for a long time.
“I think the Caulfield Cup can be a high-pressure race and she thrives on pressure.”
Single Gaze with regular rider Kathy O’Hara in the saddle finished less than two lengths behind the winner Bonneval when fourth in the Group 1 $750,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on October 1 and then fought on to finished fourth to Gailo Chop in the Group 1 $1m Ladbrokes Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield again last Saturday.
“Everything has just ticked over beautifully and I couldn’t be happier with her than what I am now,” Olive said.
“I think she’s in perfect condition and she has come through that last start better than the one before.”
Single Gaze’s only attempt at the 2400m ended in disaster when she fell on the home turn in the 2016 Group 1 $1m James Boag’s Premium Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick but the Not A Single Doubt mare was strong at the end of 2200m when she led all of the way to win the Group 2 $200,000 P J O’Shea Stakes at Doomben during the 2016 Brisbane Winter Carnival.
“She won the O’Shea Stakes in Brisbane over 2200 metres and she fell in the Oaks when she looked to be making a run into the race,” Olive said.
“So I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do over 2400.”
Kathy O’Hara is again aboard Single Gaze who has drawn barrier twelve in the seventeen horse Caulfield Cup field.
The Aidan O’Brien trained Irish stayer Johannes Vermeer with Ben Melham to ride drew barrier two and has been installed the $4.20 favourite for the Caulfield Cup following his eye catching second to Gailo Chop in the Ladbrokes Stakes.
