Trainer Peter Blanch is giving his stayer Jim’s Journey an outside chance of knocking off the short priced favourite Signoff in the Group 2 $400,000 Adelaide Cup (3200m) at Morphettville on Monday.
Trainer Peter Blanch is giving his stayer Jim’s Journey, above, a great chance in the Adelaide Cup at Morphettville. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
Jim’s Journey has over eight lengths to make up after finishing fourth to Signoff in the Group 3 $120,000 James Boag’s Premium Lord Reims Stakes (2600m) at Morphettville last Saturday, but the huge weight turnaround is what Blanch is banking on will be in his horse’s favour.
Signoff will go up 2kg to 59kg topweight in the Adelaide Cup while Jim’s Journey will drop from the 56.5kg he carried in the Lord Reims Stakes to 53kg on Monday.
“There’s no doubt Signoff is going to be really hard to beat and it’d be better if he wasn’t in it … but he’s got to carry 59kg and that’s not easy over two miles. We haven’t given up,” Blanch told The Advertiser.
Blanch is also happy with Jim’s Journey barrier eleven in the eighteen horse field and is certain jockey Dom Tourneur will be able to give him a nice ride midfield from that draw.
“I actually don’t mind the draw,” Blanch said.
“He’s got some speed outside of him and I think it could work out OK.”
Jim’s Journey is untried at 3200m, but he is a winner over 2600m in restricted class while Signoff has had experience at the two mile when he ran fourth to Protectionist in the 2014 Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
Apprentice Harry Coffey has retained the ride on the Darren Weir trained Signoff who will jump from barrier two.
Weir will also saddle up the second topweight Real Love who was back in the winner’s list last start in the Listed $120,000 3AW Roy Higgins Quality (2600m) at Flemington last Saturday.
Brad Rawiller will again be on board Real Love who has drawn barrier twelve.
Real Love will also be stepping up to the 3200m for the first time but has a good staying record and as well as winning over 2600m in the Roy Higgins Quality, was successful in winning the 2015 Group 2 $500,000 Golden River Developments Perth Cup over 2400m at Ascot.
Signoff is the short priced $2 favourite for the Adelaide Cup while Jim’s Journey is quoted as a $17 chance.
Early market order for the Adelaide Cup: $2 Signoff, $3.60 Real Love, $13 Swacadelic, $17 Jim’s Journey, $21 Last Wish, Lucques, Up Cups, $31 Gamblin’ Guru, $34 Like A Carousel, $41 Kushadasi, Wales, Tidy Prophet, $51 Purple Smile, $67 Go Dreaming, Tunes, $81 Celtic Prince, $151 Distillation, Gallatin.
