In-form stayer Stampede will be the fourth veteran in a row to win the Group 1 $750,000 Heineken 3 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday if jockey Adam Hyeronimus can produce another winning front running ride.
Stampede, above, is likely to set the pace in The Metropolitan at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Hyeronimus and Stampede combined to score an all the way win in the Group 3 $160,000 JRA Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) at Rosehill last Saturday and co-trainer Adrian Bott said that the seven year old veteran has peaked at the right time.
“He raced at his best there last Saturday so there is a sense of timing about him,’’ Bott said.
“We gave him plenty of foundation to get him to this point. We’re not on the back foot trying to play catch up, he’s at the right end of his preparation.
“He’s relatively lightly raced for his age, he’s nicely weighted and this is a great opportunity for him to capitalise on a Group 1.’’
The winner’s of the last three runnings of The Metropolitan have all been in the veteran class with Patrick Erin winning last year as a seven year old, the eight year old Foundry taking the first prize in 2017 and Sir John Hawkwood as an eight year old claimed the winning trophy in 2016.
Stampeded drops from 59kg he carried in the Colin Stephen Quality to 54.5kg in The Metropolitan and Bott can see him giving plenty of cheek out in front again.
“In fairness he got a good time in front, he was well rated by Adam but he had to carry weight (59kg) in doing it,’’ Bott said.
“We have a nice seasoned campaigner.”
Hyeronimus will have no trouble finding the front on Stampede from barrier seven in The Metropolitan field that has been reduced to fourteen runners following the early scratchings of Haripour, Supernova and The Good Fight.
Bott and co-trainer Gai Waterhouse will also saddle up Hush Writer in The Metropolitan and the Newcastle Gold Cup winner will jump from gate six with Tim Clark retaining the ride.
Last year’s runner up Brimham Rocks is the well supported $4.40 favourite for The Metropolitan at Ladbrokes.com.au while Stampede shares the second line of betting at $6.50 with the Mark Newnham trained Scarlet Dream.
Betting for the 2019 The Metropolitan at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.40 Brimham Rocks, $6.50 Stampede, Scarlet Dream, $8.50 Come Play With Me, $9 Hush Writer, $13 Neufbosc, $14 Wu Gok, $18 Big Duke, Gallic Chieftain, Attention Run, $21 Sir Charles Road, Grey Lion, $26 Shraaoh, $101 Patrick Erin.
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