Golden Slipper winner Capitalist heads the small number of nominations for Saturday’s Group 2 $175,000 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
Golden Slipper winner Capitalist, above, heads the nominations for the Missile Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Australian Turf Club has been forced to extend nominations for the weight for age Missile Stakes until 11am on Tuesday August 2, after only seven horses were in the original entries – Big Money, Capitalist, Generalife, Rebel Dane, Smart Volatility, Tycoon Tara and Wouldn’t It Be Nice.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Capitalist will be having his first run back since winning the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 19 and will only have to carry 51.5kg under the weight for age scale as an early three year old.
Capitalist has been prepared for his first appearance as a three year old with two Randwick barrier trial wins over 850m on July 15 and July 29.
While Blake Shinn rode Capitalist to win the Golden Slipper, Kerrin McEvoy will take over the reins in the Missile Stakes after riding the Written Tycoon colt in both Randwick barrier trials and considers he will be very too hard beat.
“He’s obviously got to go do it and you hope things go your way, but he’s a highly rated early season three-year-old and if he has the right luck he’s going to be very hard to toss with 51.5kg on his back,” McEvoy told The Sydney Morning Herald.
Last start Ramornie Handicap winner Smart Volatility is also nominated for the Group 3 $150,000 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Scone trained Big Money ran second to Smart Volatility in the Listed $160,000 Crowe Horwath Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton on July 13 and is among the nominations for the Missile Stakes.
Trainer Gary Portelli has Rebel Dane primed for a bold first up showing against the Golden Slipper winner and new race rider Tommy Berry got acquainted with the seven year old in a special gallop in between races at Rosehill last Saturday.
“I don’t think he could be any better,” Portelli told AAP.
“He’s at 505 kilos which is the heaviest I’ve ever had him at the start of a preparation and is in great physical condition.”
“He takes on Capitalist in his first start and then gets to take on Winx in the Warwick Stakes.”
Seven year old Generalife is the sole nomination from the John O’Shea stable.
Capitalist has been installed as the $1.50 favourite for the Missile Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of Rebel Dane at $5 and Big Money at $7.
