Trainer Colin Scott is happy with the condition of Speediness, but admits that he was not thrilled with the outcome of the 2014 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes barrier draw at Caulfield this morning.
Speediness has produced a string of impressive performances at Group 1 level during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart
Scott selected barrier 12 for Speediness in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and the Testa Rossa gelding will carry the second top weight of 56 and a half kilograms in the Group 1 event at Caulfield on Sunday.
The Caulfield-based trainer tried to look at the positives for the outside barrier draw of Speediness, but he told Racing Ahead that he would have been more confident heading into the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes if the seven-year-old had drawn a better gate.
“I would have been more confident if we had drawn a better gate, but the horse is fit and well,” Scott told Racing Ahead.
“There is always an upside and the horse gets back.
“He drew 14 last time and ran fourth not beaten by far and the less time this horse spends in the barriers the better for him, so being loaded late is probably an upside.”
While Scott was less than impressed with the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes barrier draw for Speediness, he revealed that he was delighted with the condition of Speediness and the way that he had come through his first-up run in the Group 3 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) at Flemington on September 13.
Speediness finished a luckless fourth behind Rebel Dane in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes second-up last year and Scott believes that the veteran gelding generally produces the best form of his campaign second-up.
“He is very, very well,” Scott said.
“He came through the run well and I am looking forward to Sunday.
“I think that he ran second in the Apollo Stakes second-up in the autumn and he was probably very, very unlucky in this race last year.
“He is very honest and he always runs well.”
Speediness has not recorded a race win since he took out the Bobbie Lewis Quality over a year ago, but he has produced a string of impressive performances at the highest level of racing.
The tough gelding finished fourth in both the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) before finishing a close third in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival and he was placed in both the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
