Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michael Rodd believes that Spring find Rich Enuff is good enough to run out a strong 1600m of the Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas at Caulfield on Saturday.
Michael Rood believes Rich Enuff will run out a strong 1600m of the Caulfield Guineas. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Rodd has ridden Rich Enuff at his last two Spring Carnival outings which saw the Ken Keys trained three year old beat Looks Like The Cat by a neck in the Group 2 $200,000 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 13.
Then the Written Tycoon colt scored an empathic two and a half lengths win over Looks Like The Cat again in the Group 3 $175,000 BECK Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on September 28 convincing Rodd the 1600m this week will pose no problem.
“My gut says he will run it out,’’ Rodd told the Herald Sun.
“You never really know until they do it obviously and he is so brilliant. But I think he will.’’
Rod explained that Rich Enuff had to do it at both ends in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude after drawing wide and expects the colt to be tough enough to step up in distance at Group 1 level on the weekend.
But the top Melbourne jockey would like the luxury of a better barrier draw but won’t be too worried if a double figured marble popped up again.
“He’s just so relaxed,’’ Rodd said.
“I gave him a chance to fire up (in the Prelude). He did it tough from the outside gate, did some work, but he was still very strong to the line.’’
“The outside barrier didn’t bother him too much last start. What will be will be.”
Rodd will have plenty of time during the week to work out his tactics for the Caulfield Guineas after being suspended for careless riding at the Bendigo meeting last Thursday.
“I won’t be just sitting around idle. I’ve got plenty on. I’ll be riding Rich Enuff in a gallop on Tuesday,’’ Rodd said.
Stewards suspended Rodd for seven meetings for allowing his mount Atlanta Dream to shift in at the 1100m in the F&M BenchMark 64 Handicap (1400m) causing Arikara (Michael Walker) to be checked.
Rodd suspension will end following Friday night’s Cranbourne meeting making him free to ride at Caulfield on Saturday.
Rich Enuff’s winning form has forced bookmakers to keep the colt at a short quote for the Caulfield Guineas and he is currently the $2.50 favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of the Gai Waterhouse trained Almalad and Looks Like The Cat both at $5.50.
The Peter And Paul Snowden trained Shooting To Win is next in the betting at $8 ahead of the Chivalry at $11 and Our Vespa at $13.
