Doncaster Mile placegetter Royal Descent has been given the green light to back up in the Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Royal Descent is good to back up in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Royal Descent charged to the line to run third behind stablemate Kermadec and Japanese galloper Real Impact in the Group 1 $3m The Star 150th Doncaster Mile (1600m) at the postponed first day of ‘The Championships’ at Randwick last Monday.
Leading Hong Kong jockey Joao Moreira told Chris Waller that the mare felt great in the Doncaster Mile and the premiership winning trainer is happy with the way she has recovered from the run.
“He (Moreira) said she felt great in the run and she pulled up good so we’re happy with her going into Saturday’s race,” Waller told The Daily Telegraph.
Moreira will be in charge again this weekend after Royal Descent was handed another wide barrier and will jump from gate ten in the thirteen horse field after coming out of fifteen in the twenty horse Doncaster Mile field.
Last Saturday’s washed out Randwick meeting had to be transferred to Monday following a week of rain and the prospect of another wet track on the second day of ‘The Championships’ on Saturday is still a real possibility.
But a rain affected track won’t worry Royal Descent who scored her most significant victory on a bog track with a runaway win in the 2013 Group 1 $550,000 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick.
The Redoute’s Choice mare hasn’t visited the winner’s circle since but has been Group 1 placed on five occasions over the last two years.
While a wet track won’t worry Royal Descent, it could affect the chances of Waller’s other two Queen Elizabeth Stakes runners Beaten Up and Adelaide.
English import Beaten Up produced his best run since his second in the 2013 Group 2 $175,000 Tattersall’s Club Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick when third to Hartnell in the Group 1 $1.5m The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on March 28 but has only recorded one third on a wet track from three attempts.
While Waller said that if Randwick is rated heavy again this week, last year’s Cox Plate winner Adelaide would be a doubtful starter even though he has recorded two wins on a soft track in Ireland.
“I doubt he’ll run on a heavy track but we’ll have a talk to the team on Thursday and go from there,” Waller said.
“We didn’t realise how good this horse was until we galloped him on dry ground. He’s got form on slow tracks overseas but he’s much better on top of the ground.”
Queen Elizabeth Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.60 Contributer, $4 To The World, $7.50 Tosen Stardom, Criterion, $8.50 Adelaide, $15 Lucia Valentina, $17 Royal Descent, $21 Beaten Up, Spillway, $34 Red Cadeaux, $41 Happy Trails, $51 Fiveandahalfstar, $201 Aomen.
