Adelaide trainer Lloyd Kennewell has taken a low key path for his Golden Rose Stakes hopeful Deiheros and will start the three year old in the $40,000 Sportingbet Handicap (1500m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
A another win by Deiheros at Morphettville will see him head to the Golden Rose Stakes. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
If Deiheros can make it win number four from five starts on his home track, Kenewell will have no hesitation in heading to Sydney for the Group 1 $1m Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill in a fortnight.
“If he wins Saturday he’ll be booked on a truck to go up there next week, provided he pulls up well,” Kennewell told The Advertiser.
Kennewell had also nominated Deiheros for the Group 3 $150,000 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield this weekend but thought the 1500m at Morphettville would be a better grounding for the Golden Rose Stakes.
“I reckon the distance suits better, given he’s on trial for the Golden Rose,” Kennewell said.
“That’s why the 1500m was vital this week rather than going to Melbourne.”
“I want to have a good grounding with him and if he ran run a solid 1500m this week, it will have him cherry-ripe in a fortnight for a 1400m Group 1 race.”
“You can’t win them if you’re not in them.”
And Kennewell is not concerned if the big wet continues in Sydney, confident that Deiheros will handle soft conditions.
“There’s a lot of three-year-olds who have been set back with the wet tracks in Sydney and he’s a horse that gets through it,” Kennewell said.
Kennewell said that Deiheros deserves to carry the topweight against the three year olds in the Sportingbet Handicap and is up one kilo after winning first up over 1200m at Morphettville on August 16 and will carry 59.5kgs after the 2kgs claim of apprentice Jake Toeroek is taken into account.
“He carried 58.5kg the other day when he was probably pretty vulnerable first-up,” Kennewell said.
“He’s up a kilo but he’s clearly the best horse in the race and hopefully it shows Saturday. I’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t win.”
Deiheros dominates the betting for the Sportingbet Handicap and has been posted the $2.20 with Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of Eqdaam at $4.60, Submarine at $5.50 and Rainbow Room at $6.50.
In the Golden Rose Stakes market order Deiheros is well down the list at $41 with the Gai Waterhouse trained Group 1 winner Almalad and Peter Moody’s filly Bring Me The Maid heading the betting at $6 each.
