Avdulla hoping for midfield run for Omei Sword in Coolmore Classic

Premeirship leading jockey Brenton Avdulla is hoping for some early luck to find a midfield position on Omei Sword who has drawn the outside barrier in the nineteen horse field for the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Omei Sword, above, will need plenty of luck from the outside barrier in the Coolmore Classic. Photo by Steve Hart.

Omei Sword, above, will need plenty of luck from the outside barrier in the Coolmore Classic. Photo by Steve Hart.

The Chris Waller trained Omei Sword will be having her second Sydney Autumn Carnival run after finishing an eye catching second on a heavy track to Kiwi filly La Bella Diosa in the Group 2 $200,000 Theraces.com.au Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on February 25.

But her job has been made extremely hard after coming up with the horror barrier draw against the older mares in the Coolmore Classic.

“She’s not blessed with the most amount of speed but if she jumps with them maybe there’s a spot midfield hopefully, ride her quiet and see how she goes,” Avdulla told Racenet.

“I thought her first-up run was super.”

“If she does get any luck in running she could just blow them away because I think she’s an extremely talented filly.”

“The hardest part for me is going to be trying to find the right spot in the first two, 300 metres. As I said if I can just get a bit of even luck, if something goes her way then if she’s anywhere near right, she’s going to be hard to hold out.”

Omei Sword will be taking on the older mares for the first time in the Coolmore Classic but she did show her class during the Spring against the three year olds and after winning the Group 2 $175,000 Alpha Flight Services Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Randwick went on to run second to Astern in the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill.

Even though Omei Sword has drawn the extreme outside barrier in the large Coolmore Classic field, bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au still have the High Chaparral filly as the $3.70 favourite while Waller’s other two runners are at long odds with Shillelagh at $41 and French Emotion the outsider of the field at $126.

 

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.