Trainer Mark Newnham’s in-form sprinter-miler Quackerjack has drawn another wide barrier in the 2019 Group 2 $250,000 Quincy Seltzer Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Quackerjack, above, has drawn a wide barrier in the 2019 Villiers Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Newnham said that a wide gate contributed to Quackerjack having to settle for the runner’s up cheque when a head second to Mister Sea Wolf in the $1m The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange on November 23 and the four year old came up with gate 11 again in the 16 horse Villiers Stakes field.
“It would have been nice to win the million dollar race on the way as well but the barrier (11) beat him,” Newnham told AAP.
Jockey Rachel King takes over from Josh Parr who was aboard Quackerjack in The Gong after Newnham anticipated that the gelding would get allocated a little less weight than the 56kg he ended up with.
“He is a Rating 96 horse and we thought he would get 53 or 54 kilos so we booked Rachel,” Newnham said.
“It’s unfortunate for Josh but we have to book jockeys so early now.”
Quackerjack has been ultra-consistent at three runs this campaign which includes a win two starts back in the $200,000 Goulburn Cup (1400m) at Goulburn on November 3 followed by his second in the The Gong and Newnham is happy with the way he came out of that run.
“He is in good shape and he is holding his form,” Newnham said,
“This has been a plan six months in the making and it would be great if he could win the Villiers.”
The James Cummings trained Ranier has also drawn awkwardly at gate 9 with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle and the four year old heads to the Villiers Stakes as a last start winner in the Group 3 $160,000 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on November 30.
Chris Waller’s two Villiers Stakes runners have drawn wide apart with Sambro drawing the rails with James McDonald booked to ride while Le Juge will jump from gate 14 with Jay Ford in the saddle.
Final field and barrier draw for the 2019 Villiers Stakes (1600m)
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 810x237x04 | INVINCIBLE GEM | Kris Lees | Hugh Bowman | 2 | 59kg | 106 |
| 2 | x645421311 | GOLD FIELDS | Logan McGill | Nash Rawiller | 4 | 58.5kg | 101 |
| 3 | 33x432x735 | EL DORADO DREAMING | Kris Lees | Brenton Avdulla | 5 | 57kg | 102 |
| 4 | 11x37242x0 | SAMBRO | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 1 | 56.5kg | 97 |
| 5 | x13216x312 | QUACKERJACK | Mark Newnham | Ms Rachel King | 11 | 56kg | 96 |
| 6 | 64×0310421 | RANIER | James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | 9 | 55.5kg | 95 |
| 7 | 1x93328x92 | LIVE AND FREE (NZ) | John O’Shea | Glen Boss | 13 | 55kg | 94 |
| 8 | 41116×4430 | NOBLE BOY | Todd Blowes | Tommy Berry | 15 | 55kg | 94 |
| 9 | 9100990×75 | SIREN’S FURY | Jason Coyle | Tim Clark | 12 | 54.5kg | 97 |
| 10 | 82x728x390 | GOODFELLA | Bjorn Baker | Jason Collett | 6 | 54.5kg | 93 |
| 11 | 13×0006848 | LE JUGE (IRE) | Chris Waller | Jay Ford | 14 | 54.5kg | 93 |
| 12 | 110x60x981 | AQUA D’IVINA | Matthew Smith | Jean Van Overmeire | 10 | 53kg | 89 |
| 13 | x1213x9412 | STROME | Gary Portelli | – | 8 | 53kg | 89 |
| 14 | 21x216x346 | BOBBING | Bernie Kelly | Robbie Dolan (a) | 3 | 53kg | 88 |
| 15 | x2x1430x22 | MUSHAIREB (GB) | Richard & Michael Freedman | Glyn Schofield | 7 | 53kg | 78 |
The post Quackerjack draws wide barrier again in 2019 Villiers Stakes appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au.
