The John O’Shea trained Hartnell has drawn barrier six in the eight horse field for the Group 1 $700,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Hartnell, above, will get his chance to redeem himself in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Hartnell will have a great chance to redeem himself and carry the Godolphin royal blue colours to victory again after finishing out of the place last start for the first time since his fifth to Winx in the 2016 Group 1 $600,000 Precise Air Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
It was this year’s Chipping Norton Stakes that saw Hartnell fade in the straight to finish eighth to Winx who careered away to record her fifteenth straight win and her tenth Group 1 victory.
Godolphin’s retained English jockey William Buick is in Australia for the Sydney Autumn Carnival and will be aboard Hartnell, filling in for his fellow countryman James Doyle who is on the sidelines with a broken hand he suffered in a fall at Randwick on February 13.
Buick has ridden Hartnell on one other occasion in England before he was sent to join Godolphin’s Australian team for a second in the 2014 Listed £100,000 Derby Trial (2310m) at Lingfield.
Hartnell will be facing some tough competition in the small eight horse field with Group 1 winners Preferment, Stratum Star, Our Ivanhowe, He’s Our Rokkii and last year’s winner The United States all lining up in the Ranvet Stakes.
The Darren Weir trained Stratum Star has drawn the inside barrier with Damian Lane to ride and suffered his first defeat last start from his last four outings when fourth to stablemate Humidor in the Group 1 $1.5m Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 11.
The wet track conditions will held the chances of the Lee and Anthony Freedman trained Our Ivanhowe who has drawn barrier five with Kerrin McEvoy getting the ride on the 2016 Doomben Cup winner.
The Robert Hickmott trained The United States will be striving to win back to back Ranvet Stakes and will jump from gate three with Ben Melham in the saddle year.
He’s Our Rokkii, barrier two with Dwayne Duun, is struggling to find the form that saw him win the Group 1 $500,000 IG Markets Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival and is coming off a last start fourth to It’s Somewhat in the Group 2 $175,000 Ajax Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill last Saturday.
Sydney’s leading trainer Chris Waller will saddle up two runners in the Ranvet Stakes, the out of form Preferment, barrier four with Hugh Bowman, and the promising Antonio Giuseppe, barrier eight with Tye Angland.
Last year’s Australian Oaks winner Sofia Rosa is also among the acceptances for the Ranvet Stakes and the Kiwi filly has drawn barrier seven with Blake Shinn booked to ride.
