Trainer Tony Gollan is confident that classy stayer Amexed will be perfectly suited to the conditions of the featured Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2200m) at Beaumont on Friday.
Trainer Tony Gollan is confident that Amexed is up to the class of Friday’s Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup. Photo: Daniel Costello
Amexed has posted a number of commendable results for Gollan throughout his entire racing career to date, and has returned to competition this year in particularly slick form, having missed a good deal of racing through injury.
Amexed has reportedly taken a great deal of benefit from his first-up run for sixth in the Programmed Property Services Handicap (1600m) at Eagle Farm on September 3rd and Gollan believes he will only a relish the step up in distance on Friday.
“There isn’t a lot for him in Brisbane at the moment as he isn’t a Magic Millions horse,” Gollan told AAP.
“It looks to be the right type of grade for him and if he goes well we can start talking about something a bit better.”
Amexed made his competitive debut in the late stages of 2013, but was unable to break through for a maiden race win through four starts and returned to the paddock after running second to Miss Husson in a Doomben minor over 2020m.
Resuming during the 2014 Brisbane Winter Carnival in impressive form, the Pentire gelding posted his maiden race win in the Strata Unit Underwriters Maiden (1600m) before making a successful transition to black type company with success in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m).
Ending his three-year-old campaign fourth in the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) and fifth in the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m), Amexed missed close to a year of racing through injury but has already claimed a number of positive results in 2016.
Running third in the Hot FM BM80 (1650m) in Toowoomba on May 21st, Amexed was rated little chance of success in the Ipswich Provincial Stayers Cup (2150m) on July 18th but savaged the line for success, before repeating the dose in the talent-rich Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) on July 2nd.
Amexed was included amongst a seventeen-strong list of Newcastle Gold Cup nominations on Monday, and is expected to be confirmed amongst a capacity field of fourteen on Wednesday.
