Top West Australian trainer Grant Williams is leaning towards Regal Power over stablemate Superstorm in Saturday’s $5m The All-Star Mile (1600m) at Caulfield.
Alligator Blood, above, is the favourite for The All-Star Mile at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Group 1 winner Regal Power and three year old Superstorm are both coming off excellent seconds but Williams said that he would stick with Perth’s number jockey William Pike who has stuck with the Australian Cup runner up.
Pike was aboard Regal Power who dashed to the front at the 300m before getting run down by Fifty Stars to finish second in the Group 1 $1.5m Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington last Saturday.
The top jockey also rode Supertorm into second place behind Alligator Blood in the Group 1 $1m Kennedy Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington the previous week but he has selected to ride Regal Power in The All-Star Mile after he drew barrier three in the fifteen horse field.
“I always stick with Willie and always stay in his corner. I would love to see him win it. I would hate another second,” Williams told RSN Racing Pulse.
Mark Zahra takes the ride on Superstorm who will jump from gate fourteen and Williams will leave the riding instructions up to the top Melbourne hoop.
“From there it is going to be tricky and it will take one of (Mark) Zahra’s best rides obviously. He will just have to ride the horse how he finds it in the race and see where he lands,” said Williams who trains in partnership with his wife Alana Williams.
“I don’t think we will go into it with a plan, basically leave it up to him.”
Williams said that Pike’s decision to stick with Regal Power was virtually a toss of the coin but the better barrier for the four year old was the deciding factor.
“It definitely was a toss of the coin decision but it probably made it easier by the barriers, but you can make a really case for both horses,” Williams said.
Australian Guineas winner Alligator Blood has drawn gate ten with regular rider Ryan Maloney in the saddle again and the David Vandyke trained three year old is the short priced $2.70 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for The All-Star Mile.
Regal Power is listed at $11 while Superstorm is marked as a $13 chance.
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