May’s Dream is currently available at 2014 Myer Classic odds of $4.60 and she is a narrow favourite to record her second win at Group 1 level at Flemington on Saturday.
May’s Dream has the chance to record a second win at Group 1 level in the 2014 Myer Classic at Flemington on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
May’s Dream took out the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at the end of her autumn campaign, but she has been trained as a miler during this preparation and stamped herself as a leading Myer Classic contender after finishing seventh in the Group 3 How Now Stakes (1200m), third in the Group 2 Blazer Stakes (1400m) and fourth in the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m).
Sweet Idea is arguably the class horse in the 2014 Myer Classic field, but she is on the second line of betting at a quote of $5.50 due to concerns about her ability to run out a strong 1600 metres.
The Snitzel mare performed well in the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m), Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) before she returned to mares company with a win in the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on October 18 and trainer Gai Waterhouse is confident that the talented mare can record her maiden win at Group 1 level this weekend.
“She is a very special mare,” Waterhouse said at trackwork earlier this week.
“She has amazing cruising speed and she just cruises at this fantastic speed.
“You saw that at Caulfield the other day when she donkey-licked them and I can’t see why she can’t win again.
“People say can she run the distance, but I think that she will run it with her eyes shut.
“She is a class mare and this is the right race for her.”
Catkins finished a very close second behind stablemate Red Tracer in last year’s Myer Classic and the Dubawi mare is available at a quote of $7.50 to one better at Flemington on Saturday.
The five-year-old mare started her spring preparation with a comfortable win in the Group 3 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 13, but she was beaten as an odds-on favourite in the Group 3 Golden Pendant (1400m) at the same venue on September 27 and she looked to have every chance when third in the Tristarc Stakes.
While Catkins does not appear to be going as well as she was in the lead-up to the Myer Classic this year, Chris Waller’s Melbourne stable foreman Justine Hales told TVN that the consistent mare worked strongly earlier this week and is capable of returning to her best form in the Myer Classic.
“Damien seemed quite happy with her gallop this morning,” Hales said.
“Her work has been ok and she wasn’t quiet up for it the other day, but Hugh (Bowman) said maybe that was because she was aiming for the mile.
“We all know that she is a tough little horse and we are just hoping that she can come out and do what she did last year.”
John Sargent-trained Neena Rock has been the best backed runner and is now available at Myer Classic odds of $9.50 after being available at $14 when the final field was released, while there has also been a sprinkling of support for Viadana ($71 into $51), Bonaria ($31 into $26), You’re So Good ($81 into $61), Politeness ($13 into $10) and Girl In Flight ($21 into $16).
