Count Of Limonade to line up in Ballarat Cup

Irish import Count Of Limonade will line up in the Listed $200,000 Sportsbet.com.au Ballarat Cup (2200m) at Ballarat after recovering from an elevated temperature.

Dean Yendall will take over from Glen Boss on Count Of Limonade in the Ballarat Cup. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Dean Yendall will take over from Glen Boss on Count Of Limonade in the Ballarat Cup. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Caulfield trainer Mick Price has given Count Of Limonade the all clear after he was forced to scratch him from last Saturday’s Group 2 $350,000 Deadly Design Zipping Classic (2400m) at Sandown because of a slight rise in temperature but would still like a bit of give in the ground at Ballarat.

“I would have nearly run him last Saturday but spiked a bit of a temperature. He seems to have bounced back well,” Price told RSN radio.

“He’s got plenty of races to win, he probably just needs Ballarat to be the right rating for him.”

“He is a nice horse. He’s been down the beach and working down there.”

Jockey Dean Yendall will take over from Glen Boss who has been aboard Count Of Limonade at his last two outings for a win in the $135,000 The WIN Network Moe Cup (2050m) at Moe on October 16 followed by a fifth in the Listed $250,000 Jayco Bendigo Cup (2400m) at Bendigo on October 29.

After the run at Bendigo, Boss reported to Price that Count Of Limonade wasn’t fully comfortable on top of the ground and he would be better suited on softer surfaces.

“Bossy got off and just said he felt the ground. That’s what type of horse he is, probably a little bit typical of some of those imports. You just need the right surface for them,” Price said.

Price expects Yendall to find a position from barrier six just behind the leading division once the field sorts itself out going through the first 800m and then should get a good run for the rest of the race.

“He is a little bit adaptable. They will slide along forward in the first half a mile until they all get their position then stack up so I think he will be fifth, sixth in the running somewhere depending on the gate.  He doesn’t have to get too far back,” Price said.

The Robert Smerdon trained Spinderbella has been racing in top form with two wins from her last three starts and will also get the run of the race from barrier three with Chad Schofield to ride.

Smerdon scratched Spinderbella from the Group 2 $300,000 Momentum Energy Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 8 because of the firm track and is happy with her form heading into the Ballarat Cup.

“She’s going well I just pulled her out of the Matriarch (Momentum Energy Stakes) because the ground was too firm for her,” Smerdon told Racing.com

“She has been racing in terrific form and her record is really good, she’s won five out of nine starts and is particularly good beyond 1600.

“I would have thought she would be pretty competitive.”

Smerdon will also saddle up Electric Fusion who has drawn near the outside of the capacity field at seventeen with Dwayne Dunn booked to ride.

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.