Form expert Adam Blencowe has Atlante on top of his 2014 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes tips and he believes that the talented entire is excellent value to take out the Group 1 event at Caulfield on Sunday.
Atlante (inside) is Racing And Sports Senior Handicapper Adam Blencowe's Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes tip. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Atlante was plagued by wet tracks during his 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign, but he returned to racing with a tough win over a strong field in the Listed Drummond Golf Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 6.
Blencowe told RSN that there are plenty of winning chances in the feature event at Caulfield this weekend, but he is happy to back Atlante at his current 2014 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes odds of $13.
“This is a terrific betting race and so it should be,” Blencowe said.
“There are only two maybe three that I would say won’t win, but the rest come here with a reasonable hope of doing so.
“The one that is sort of a weight horse is Atlante.
“The form of his first-up win has been well advertised and he meets Dissident six kilos better from a narrow defeat in the Hobartville at this trip in the autumn.
“I have a bit of a suspension that he has come back an ever better horse and has a nice race in him.
“I think that a race like this sets up pretty well; there are obviously a lot of chances here, but I think at $13 he is over the odds and he deserves to be in that little glut of horses around that $6 or $7 mark.”
Dissident has been the star performer of the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival to date and he is currently locked in a battle with Sweet Idea for favouritism in Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes betting markets.
Blencowe has been impressed with the performances of Dissident in both the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 30 and the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 13, but the form analyst believes that the Sebring entire would have to produce an ever better performance to carry 58 kilograms to victory in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
“I am happy to pot Dissident,” Blencowe said.
“He would have to do really well to win here with the weight and with the warning that we have had that he has been trained for 2000 metres as well.
“You wouldn’t expect him to be springing off his latest figure and I think he would have to, to win this.
“Speediness sits pretty well and Cluster is going to go back and is going to need luck, but his win last start was terrific and he is racing really well.
“There are obviously a lot of chances there, but I will be focusing a lot of my betting around six or seven.”
