Parcel Cleared To Contest Chairman’s Stakes

Parcel gave connections a scare at Moonee Valley last Friday after dumping jockey Chris Parnham, but trainer Wez Hunter believes that the promising filly has taken no harm from her misbehavior and will take her place in the 2015 Chairman’s Stakes this weekend.

Chris Parnham has been booked to ride Parcel in the 2015 Chairman's Stakes at Sandown this weekend. Photo by: Adrienne Bicknell

Chris Parnham has been booked to ride Parcel in the 2015 Chairman’s Stakes at Sandown this weekend. Photo by: Adrienne Bicknell

Parcel was set to contest the Ranvet Handicap (1000m) at Moonee Valley last Friday, but before the race she reared up and dumped Parnham before running loose around the track for several minutes.

Amazingly, Parcel appeared to come out of the dramatic incident without any problems, but Hunter told Racing Ahead yesterday that he was still not keen to take the Beneteau filly back to Moonee Valley and has elected to run the two-year-old in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Sandown on Saturday rather than the juveniles event at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

“In the back of my mind I was a little bit worried about going back to Moonee Valley after what happened the other night,” Hunter said.

“I was just a bit concerned that she might get there and it would all be a bit much for her.

“I think we really dodged a bullet because she seems to be fine and yesterday she worked brilliant.

“I had Michael Bryant out yesterday and he went over her and couldn’t find much wrong with her.

“I really respect Michael’s opinion and she went out to the track at Mornington and had to deal with other horses and looked to have no issue.

“I think if she was going to be a problem, she would have been a problem this morning.

“I think we are alright, but you never really know until they are under pressure.”

Parcel was included in the entries for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) before she made her racing debut and she stamped herself as a filly to follow when she led from start to finish to win the Marong Cup Maiden (900m) at Bendigo on December 21 in track record time.

Hunter said that a number of trainers in that race had a high opinion of their fillies and he feels that the form heading out of the event should prove fairly strong in the next few months.

“Before the race there were four or five tips for different horses in the race and Ciaron really likes his filly who ran second,” Hunter said.

“I know he has a really good opinion of her and I thought our filly did a good job and if you break a track record at your first start then you are doing something right.

“I think she is a filly with a really bright future and we just have to get past what happened there the other night.”

Parcel is currently available at 2015 Blue Diamond Stakes odds of $51 with Ladbrokes Australia, while Secret Agenda ($4.80) remains a narrow favourite from Fontiton ($5), Flamboyant Lass ($10) and Lake Geneva ($10).

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.