Jockey Michael Cahill has been cleared to ride Artlee in the Group 3 $125,000 Darley BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Michael Cahill will ride Artlee, above, in the BRC Sprint at Doomben. Photo by Steve Hart.
Cahill took a heavy tumble from Artlee just after the winning post in the Group 1 $500,000 BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben last Saturday but has escaped serious injury and will ride the Todd Willan trained sprinter again this week.
Willan said that Artlee, who officially finished seventh in the BTC Cup, took no harm from the scrimmage and looked bright on Sunday morning after eating up overnight.
“He walked out sound and ate everything (Saturday night) so he seems to have come through the run unscathed,” Willan told The Courier-Mail.
“I’ve never backed him up before but I’ve never been worried about it. He’s always fresh in himself and it might just take the edge off him because he’s such a headstrong horse.”
Willan’s main Brisbane Winter Carnival target for Artlee is the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11 and he is hoping the Excellent Art gelding can win the BRC Sprint to add some weight to his Stradbroke Handicap credentials.
Artlee has drawn barrier three in the thirteen horse field and is likely to settle midfield in the long run along the back of the track before the field hits the first turn at the 800m mark.
Top weight Charmed Harmony is certain to take little harm from barrier eleven and Thomas Sadler will have plenty of time to let the noted front runner slide across the front of field to take up his favourite position.
The John Sadler trained six year old was back in the winner’s stall last start with a win in a 1400m Handicap at Caulfield on April 30.
Coolring is another sprinter in the BRC Sprint that likes to race on the pace as he displayed last start with an all the way win over Saturday’s rival Snippets Land in the in the Listed $100,000 Prime Minister’s Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast on May 7.
The Bjorn Baker trained grey five year old has drawn barrier eight with the Prime Minister’s Cup winning jockey Jeff Lloyd in the saddle again.
Snippets Land from the Peter and Paul Snowden stable has drawn one to the outside of Coolring at nine with Blake Shinn to ride again.
The Chris Waller stable will be represented by the consistent Religify who has won twice and been runner up twice from his last four starts, the latest being an all the way win in a 1350m BenchMark 93 Handicap at Rosehill on May 7.
James McDonald will ride the five year old who has drawn barrier four in the BRC Sprint.
