Victorian mare Jamaican Rain has been installed as the favourite to score back to back wins in the Listed $175,000 Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
Jamaican Rain, above, is looking for back to back wins in the 2019 Glasshouse Handicap at the Sunshine Coast. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Tegan Harrison steered Jamaican Rain to victory in the 2018 Glasshouse Handicap and she will be re-united with the Richard Laming trained mare this weekend.
Harrison also teamed up with Jamaican Rain for a seventh to Despatch in the Group 1 $750,000 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville during the 2019 Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival.
Harrison replaces Jamie Kah who was aboard the Manhattan Rain six year old last start when fifth to Invincibella in the Group 1 $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm last Saturday.
“She finished fifth in the Tatt’s Tiara and was only beaten just over a length,” Laming told Racing Queensland News Desk.
“She pulled up terrific after the run and hasn’t left an oat in her feed bin.
“I think she’s well weighted and her last two runs have been terrific.
“She got an interrupted run in the Tatt’s Tiara between the 400 and 300 metres and it probably cost her a place.
“In the Goodwood she was three and four wide with no cover.
“She’s going the best I’ve ever had her and 1400 metres is probably her pet distance,” he said.
A significant drop in class in the Glasshouse Handicap will be to Jamaican Rain’s benefit and she is the firming $3 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of the James Cummings trained Organza at $6.50.
Jamaican Rain won the Glasshouse Handicap on a heavy track last year and the mare is going to get similar conditions this year with the Sunshine Coast track rated a Heavy 10 on Thursday.
The Desleigh Forster trained Chapter And Verse will have to jump from the extreme outside barrier in the eighteen horse Glasshouse Handicap field and sits on the third line of betting at $8 slightly head of Glen Boss’s mount Platinum Angel at $9.
Organza looks likely to jump from barrier twelve with Larry Cassidy retaining the mount after the pair combined for a second to Ready To Prophet in the Listed $125,000 Gai Waterhouse Classic (1350m) at Ipswich on June 15.
Organza’s last start second was her fifth straight minor placings and she is certainly overdue to find the winner’s stall.
Platinum Angel made a surprise return to form at huge odds with a last start second to Invincibella in the Group 2 $200,000 Pages Event Hire Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 8 and could jump from gate ten with Glen Boss taking over the reins from Damien Oliver.
