Jockey Tommy Berry has informed the followers of Eden Roc that the colt will be a different horse with the winkers on for the first time when he steps out in the Listed $125,000 Hinchinbrook Plate (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Exceeds, black, white and yellow and Eden Roc, grey and red, will clash again in the Hinchinbrook Plate at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Team Hawkes trained Eden Roc let the punters down when he was sent out as the $1.80 favourite on debut but after travelling just behind the leaders was unable to match strides with the winner Exceeds in the run to the line to finish second in the $100,000 Australian Fire Hose Plate (1000m) at Randwick on January 21.
Berry admitted that he was very disappointed with Eden Roc’s debut performance but goes to the races this weekend full of confidence that the three quarter brother of brilliant three year old Star Turn will make amends for his first up defeat.
“After the race I was pretty disappointed but then I remembered what his brother did at the same time last year,” Berry told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“The Hawkes put the blinkers on him [Star Turn] at his next start and he won by three.”
“The Hawkes are very patient and don’t like to use gear on them straight away. But I think you are going to see a different horse on Saturday,” Berry said.
“He will be just like Star Turn. He is a very exciting horse.”
Eden Roc has drawn barrier seven and has been installed the favourite again this week, but not as short as his first race start, and heads the market order for the Hinchinbrook Plate at $3.60 with Ladbrokes.com.au just ahead of the John O’Shea trained Veranillo at $3.90.
Veranillo has been to the races once for a win in an 1100m 2yo Handicap at Rosehill on November and has finished third in a recent Warwick Farm 794m barrier trial on January 23.
James Doyle rides the Medaglio D’Oro colt who has drawn nicely at barrier four in the field that has been reduced to ten runners with the early scratchings of Momentum To Win and Grasslands.
On the third line of betting at $7 is the James Cummings trained Exceeds who has drawn the outside barrier with Brenton Avdulla in the saddle again.
