Last Saturday’s all the way BRC Sprint winner Jungle Edge is set to back up this Saturday at Eagle Farm in the Group 1 $700,000 Darley Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) which was formerly know as the BTC Cup.
Jungle Edge, above, is set to back up in the Kingsford-Smith Cup at Eagle Farm. Photo by Steve Hart.
Mudlark Jungle Edge handled the wet conditions to perfection to lead all of the way for jockey Kevin Forrester to win the Group 3 $125,000 Taxibox BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben.
That was Jungle Edge’s eleventh win on a rain affected track and the Mick Bell trained five year old is set to get conditions to suit again this week on the new Eagle Farm track that will favour the wet tracker.
Jungle Edge had already had a tough Autumn campaign but Bell decided to bring him to Brisbane a week early to run in the BRC Sprint when it was clear that the Doomben Cup meeting was going to be run on heavy track following a couple days of rain in the lead up to the weekend.
The Kingsford-Smith Cup, formerly known as the BTC Cup and run over 1200m at Doomben, had always been on the agenda for Jungle Edge as a lead up to the Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 10.
“We were actually going to run next week first in the Darley Kingsford-Smith but when the rain happened I came a week early,” Bell said after Jungle Edge won at Doomben last Saturday.
“I put off some knee surgery I was supposed to have on Wednesday and I am glad we came.”
“The plan at the moment is to run next week and two weeks again into the Stradbroke.”
“He just needs the sting out of the ground but on a heavy track he is exceptional.”
The Cranbourne based Bell isn’t frightened to travel with Jungle Edge who had four runs in Sydney during the Autumn Carnival which kicked off with a fifth to English in the Group 2 $500,000 Hyland Race Colours Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on March 4.
Bell then stepped the gelding up to Group 1 company for a bold effort to run third behind Russian Revolution and Redzel in the $700,000 Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on March 18 before winning the Group 3 $150,000 E-Group Security Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 25.
Jungle Edge then put in another courageous effort on a heavy track to finish third behind Tivaci and Le Romain in the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 15 before heading to Warrnambool where he ran fifth to Ulmann in the Listed $150,000 Wangoon Handicap (1200m) at Warrnambool on May 3.
In early betting for the Kingsford-Smith Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au, Jungle Edge is marked at $11 alongside of the Bjorn Baker trained Music Magnate.
The Lindsay Park trained Derryn sits at the top of the market order at $6 ahead of Clearly Innocent at $7.50 and Doomben 10,000 runner up Counterattack at $8.
Early market order for the Kingsford-Smith Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au: $6 Derryn, $7.50 Clearly Innocent, $8 Counterattack, $11 Jungle Edge, Music Magnate, $13 Black Heart Bart, Impending, Mackintosh, Under The Louvre, $15 Hopfgarten, Start Wondering, $17 Tycoon Tara, $26 Artistry, Good Project, Hall Of Fame, Heroic Valour, Ken’s Dream, Sir Bacchus.
