Eight year old Bagman has been specked at long odds to win the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Bagman, above, has been specked at long odds to win the C.F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Bagman opened at $51 with Ladbrokes.com.au when the C.F. Orr Stakes field was released on Wednesday and after plenty of overnight support the Chris Waller trained galloper is now marked at $21.
Top Melbourne jockey Steven Arnold will be having his first ride on the Easy Rocking gelding replacing Brenton Avdulla who was aboard when he finished a handy first up seventh to stablemate Weary in the Group 2 $200,000 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on January 31.
Bagman has drawn nicely at gate two in the fifteen horse field and Waller is expecting Arnold to settle the veteran back in the field.
“Has got a good draw, will conserve a little bit of energy,” Waller said.
Waller was very pleased with Bagman’s first up run in the Expressway Stakes and is expecting a bold showing on the weekend.
“He is a great old horse. His first up run in the Expressway was terrific, attacked the line nicely,” Waller said.
“You couldn’t fault his form last prep, he is going terrific.”
Bagman has only raced once at Group 1 level for a fifth to another Waller trained galloper Opinion in the Group 1 $400,000 McGrath Estate Agents Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on October 4.
But he was placed twice at Group 2 level at his two previous starts during the Sydney Spring Carnival when third to Hawkspur in the $175,000 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) and third to Junoob in the $200,000 Ascend Sales Trophies Hill Stakes (2000m) both at Randwick.
Waller will also saddle up Doomben Cup winner Beaten Up who is also coming off a first up eighth in the Expressway Stakes at his first run for eighteen months.
Beaten Up has drawn the outside of the fifteen horse field and Waller thinks Glen Boss will have no choice but to settle back in the field and let the seven year old find the line late.
“From his draw at fifteen where is he going to end up? He has to go back,” Waller said.
“He is a tricky horse and you have to get him to settle. He will run a nice fifth or sixth.”
Unlike Bagman who firmed in overnight betting, Beaten Up has drifted significantly and after opening at $19 is now listed as a $34 chance.
The Peter Moody trained Dissident heads the C.F. Orr Stakes market order at $3.10 ahead of the three year olds Petrology at $6.50 and Java at $8.
