Dissident is currently a dominant favourite in 2015 Futurity Stakes betting markets, but trainer Gai Waterhouse believes that the Group 1 event at Caulfield tomorrow is a winnable race for tough mare Driefontein.
Driefontein has the chance to return to winning form in the 2015 Futurity Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart
Driefontein has not recorded a race win since she took out the Group 1 Robert Sangster Classic (1200m) at Morphettville on April 26, but she has performed consistently in four race starts since returning to the races.
The Fastnet Rock mare finished a luckless fourth in the Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast on January 10 and she was narrowly denied a return to winning form in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on January 31 before she finished second again in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 14.
Waterhouse told Racing Ahead that she has been thrilled with the recent form of Driefontein and she believes that the five-year-old has a good chance of scoring another Group 1 win in what she believes is a weak edition of the Futurity Stakes.
“I think that it is a very winnable Futurity Stakes,” Waterhouse said.
“It was an executive decision to come down to Melbourne because I felt with the two Carnivals literally being side by side certain races have become a bit weaker.
“I just felt that this didn’t have the depth of other year and if it had the depth of other years she might struggle.
“I think that she is right there up to her eyeballs.
“Her last run she was definitely on the worst part of the track and she was beaten a head and the start before that she was beaten a neck.
“She is tough as teeth and she is probably one of the best mares racing in Australia at present.”
Another Sydney trainer that has elected to send a horse to Melbourne for the 2015 Futurity Stakes is Chris Waller, who will be represented by Bull Point in the Group 1 event at Caulfield on Saturday.
Bull Point returned to racing with a slightly flat effort in the Southern Cross Stakes, but Waller feels that the Fastnet Rock entire will be suited by a return to Caulfield, although he is unsure if the four-year-old is good enough to beat Dissident.
“It was tricky to get a true gauge on horses form that day, but it was a past mark,” Waller said.
“He is very good at Caulfield and at 1400 he isn’t too bad either.
“He is ticking most of the boxes, but he has to beat Dissident however.
“He has drawn pretty well in barrier five and we have him settling in about fifth or sixth.”
Driefontein is currently available at 2015 Futurity Stakes odds of $6.50 with Ladbrokes, while Bull Point has been on the drift out to $11.
