Jason Coyle-trained Scream Machine will be on audition for starts in both the 2014 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) and 2014 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) when he returns to the races at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Scream Machine is set to receive another chance at Group 1 level during the 2014 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart
Scream Machine has been included in the nominations for the Benchmark 95 Handicap event over 1350 metres and will be returning to the races for the first time since he finished sixth in the Group 3 Summer Cup (2000m) at the end of last year.
Coyle opted not to bring Scream Machine back into work for the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival in order to save him for a fresh tilt in Brisbane and the Warwick Farm-based trainer is hopeful that the Excites gelding can prove he is worth of another opportunity at Group 1 level in the Doomben 10,000 and Stradbroke Handicap.
“He’s always been a really good fresh horse so I’m hoping to take advantage of that this time in,” Coyle told AAP.
“I think the form around a horse like Toydini is strong enough to warrant keeping him sharp for at least one of the Group One races up there.
“If he is ultra-impressive in what he does on Saturday, I’d look at the Doomben 10,000 first.”
Scream Machine has done the majority of his racing over a mile and has scored three wins over 2000 metres, including his latest triumph in the Listed Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) on May 3 last year, but failed to fire when stepped up in trip in the Group 3 David Jones Cup (2000m) at Caulfield during his spring campaign.
Coyle said that he feels that Scream Machine will be better suited in sprinting events at this stage of his career and is hopeful that the five-year-old can race a bit closer to the speed this campaign.
“When they run on in their races like he does it’s the obvious thing to do to keep stepping them up in distance, but he over-races when the speed drops and as he has got older it seems he might be going the opposite to the way he has raced,” Coyle said.
Scream Machine is set to face a tough field at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday; with the Chris Waller-trained foursome of Tromso, Said Com, Eigelstein and Rugged Crossed, imported galloper Sir John Hawkwood and veteran gelding Earnest Ernest set to contest the $85,000 race.
