The out-of-form Hawkspur can jump back into the headlines if he can win back to back Group 2 $175,000 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Hawkspur can make it back to back wins in the Chelmsford Stakes with a win at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Hawkspur hasn’t visited the winner’s stall since winning last year’s Chelmsford Stakes but trainer Chris Waller believes he is ready to reproduce his winning form.
“Hawkspur is knocking on the door. He was favourite for the Caulfield Cup last year and he won the Chelmsford last year,” Waller told AAP.
“He wants a dead to good track.”
If Hawkspur was to win on Saturday he would be the first horse to win back to back Chelmsford Stakes since the legendary Lonhro completed the task in 2002 and 2003.
Group 1 centurion Jim Cassidy is back from a Winter break and will be re-united with Hawkspur in a bid to relive the glory days that saw the pair take all before them during the 2013 Brisbane Winter Carnival when they dominated the three year old feature staying races.
Cassidy and Hawkspur combined to win the Group 3 $125,000 Mittys Rough Habit Plate (2100m) at Eagle Farm, the Group 3 $150,000 Mullins Lawyers Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) at Doomben and then back to Eagle Farm to win the Group 1 $500,000 Channel Seven Queensland Derby (2400m).
Cassidy was also aboard in last year’s Chelmsford Stakes win and Hawkspur indicated that another win is not far away after two encouraging runs from a spell.
Tye Angland has been warming the saddle for Cassidy on the Purrealist five year old who finished seventh first up to Sweet Idea in the Group 2 $175,000 McGrath Estate Agents Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 9 and then fifth to Tiger Tees in the Group 2 $175,000 Pro-Ride Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 23.
While Waller thinks that Hawkspur is overdue for a win, he knows Dual Doncaster Mile winners Sacred Falls and Australian Oaks winner Royal Descent are also not far off a win.
“Sacred Falls and Royal Descent are clearly the best two on form,” Waller said.
Ladbrokes.com.au have rated Hawkspur an $8 chance in the Chelmsford Stakes, a race in which trainer Chris Waller will saddle up six of the nine runners.
Waller’s other runners are Royal Descent, $4, Sacred Falls, $5, Bagman, $26, Moriarty, $31 and Junoob, $34.
The Team Hawks trained Entirely Platinum heads the market order at $3.30 while Australian Derby winner Criterion is well in the betting at $5 with the Joe Pride trained Laser Hawk the outsider of the field at $51.
