Dee I Cee lightweight chance in The Metropolitan

Dee I Cee is a lightweight chance to give Gai Waterhouse another win in the Group 1 $750,000 McGrath Estate Agents Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Gai Waterhouse. above, is chasing another Metropolitan win with Dee I Cee at Randwick. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Trainer Gai Waterhouse. above, is chasing another Metropolitan win with Dee I Cee at Randwick. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Waterhouse has saddled up the winner of the feature staying race of the Sydney Spring Carnival on eight occasions and if Dee I Cee wins this year she will share the trophy with new co-trainer Adrian Bott.

A win by the Istidaad gelding would also be the first Group 1 win for the new training partnership.

Waterhouse had previously won The Metropolitan with her first Group 1 winner Te Akau Nick in 1992, Electronic and Hula Flight in 1995 and 1996, In Joyment in 1998, Coco Cobanna and Dress Circle in 2000 and 2001, Herculian Prince in 2010 and Glencadam Gold in 2012.

Dee I Cee is an improving stayer who has worked his way up through the ranks and Bott is giving him a great lightweight chance on the 51kg minimum.

“Down in the weights I think he’s a great chance,” Bott told AAP.

Dee I Cee has drawn midfield at barrier seven in the thirteen horse field and new jockey Kerrin McEvoy is certain to give him every chance from the good draw.

“We couldn’t be happier with where he’s drawn,” Bott said.

“I think he’ll get every opportunity from there.

“If he’s good enough, which we think he is, he’ll be fighting out the finish.”

Dee I Cee is coming off a last start second in the Group 3 $175,000 XXXX Gold Newcastle Cup (2200m) on the Beaumont track at Newcastle on September 16 and will be clashing with the winner Sacred Master again in The Metropolitan.

“It was a brilliant run last start in the Newcastle Cup,” Bott said.

“We covered plenty of ground although he had cover.”

“He loomed up into it strongly. I think it’s a nice form guide going into the Metropolitan.”

Dee I Cee is marked at $17 for The Metropolitan at Ladbrokes.com.au while the Chris Waller trained Sacred Master is well in the market at $7.

Sacred Master’s stablemate Antonio Giuseppe sits at the top of the market order at $4.80 ahead of Sir John Hawkwood at $5.50 with the John O’Shea trained Allergic at $8.

Market order for The Metropolitan at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.80 Antonio Giuseppe, $7 Scared Master, $5.50 Sir John Hawkwood, $8 Allergic, $9.50 Who Shot Thebarman, $11 Magic Hurricane, $12 Storm The Stars, $15 Junoob, $17 Dee I Cee, $21 Sense Of Occasion, Grand Marshall, $81 Amexed, $301 Quartermaster.

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.