Veteran gelding Ollie Vollie will have the chance to record his maiden victory at Listed level when he contests the Razor Sharp Handicap (1150m) at the Randwick Kensington track on Saturday.
Ollie Vollie will be having the 90th race start of his career in the Razor Sharp Handicap at Randwick Kensington this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Ollie Vollie will be having his 90th race start this weekend but, at 11 years of age, is arguably in the best form of his incredible career and is yet to produce a bad performance since returning to the races in July this year.
The Belong To Me gelding resumed with an unlucky third place finish in the Sir James Kirby Handicap (1000m) at Grafton on July 11 and returned to Brisbane with a strong effort behind Liesele, Benny’s Buttons and Gundy Son at Doomben on August 3.
He finished an unlucky fourth in the Ticketek Handicap (1300m) at Eagle Farm on August 14, was second in the Farmoz Plate (1000m) at Moree and third in the Coca-Cola Handicap (1200m) at Eagle Farm before breaking through for his 18th career victory in the Port Macquarie Travel Sprint (1200m) on October 11.
The Tamworth-based sprinter continued his stellar form with a third place finish in the Kartaway Miniskips Handicap (1200m) at Eagle Farm on October 26 and was far from disgraced when fourth behind Better Than Ready in the Listed Keith Noud Handicap (1200m) at Eagle Farm on November 23.
Ollie Vollie will be returning to Sydney for the first time since he took out the Styleread.com.au Handicap (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens just over a year ago and will be contesting the Razor Sharp Handicap for the third occasion after finishing eighth in the 2010 edition of the race and fourth in 2011.
The evergreen galloper has accumulated well over $500,000 for connections but could cap off his amazing career with a black type victory – something which has eluded him despite having twelve starts at Listed level.
He made his Listed race debut in the 2008 June Stakes (1100m) at Royal Randwick, finishing seventh behind Mister Celestial, and went closest to breaking his drought when an unlucky fourth behind Pinwheel in the Listed BMW Classic (1100m) in 2011 and finished just outside the placings in the 2011 Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton, 2011 Keith Noud Handicap at Eagle Farm, the 2011 Razor Sharp Handicap and the 2013 Keith Noud Handicap.
Ollie Vollie is currently considered an outsider in Razor Sharp Handicap betting markets, at odds of $34, with Chris Waller-trained Heart Testa ($3.50), a clear favourite from the resuming Club Command ($4.50) and 2013 Newmarket Handicap placegetter Aeronautical.
