A bold showing by Scream Machine in the Listed $100,000 Myer Fashion Winter Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday will boost the confidence of trainer Jason Coyle and regular rider Tye Angland heading into the Spring Carnival.
Scream Machine chasing a hat trick of wins in the Winter Stakes. Photo by Steve Hart.
The in-form Scream Machine has been lumped with 58.5kgs after wins at Rosehill at his last two starts and Angland can see a Spring Carnival win in his sights if the five year old can make it a hat trick of wins under the huge impost.
“That will bring him back to the field a bit,” Angland told the Spotsman.
“He’s gone up another couple of kilos and that will test him but he is racing well and they are pretty much the same horses he’s been racing against.”
“If he brings his last runs to Rosehill again he is going to be hard to beat.”
Scream Machine pleased Angland and trainer Jason Coyle when beaten less than two lengths when sixth to Spirit Of Boom in the Group 1 $650,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben on May 24.
The Excites gelding only had the one run in Brisbane after failing to gain a start in the Group 1 $1.36m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 7 and returned to Sydney to rack up a winning Rosehill double.
Another good performance on Saturday will give Coyle plenty of ammunition to tackle weight for age company in the Group 2 $175,000 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 23.
As well as being asked to carry his share of weight, Scream Machine has to overcome the outside barrier in the ten horse field but Angland has dismissed this as a hurdle.
“The main thing is that he’s relaxing, when he relaxes he has that good turn of foot at the finish,” Angland said.
“He’s not a horse you can shove out of the gates and put into a position because he will over-race.”
“They didn’t go overly hard and he gave then a bit of a head start and picked them up on the line.”
Scream Machine is currently the $3.30 favourite for the Winter Stakes with Ladbrokes.com.au, holding a slight advantage over Generalife at $3.50.
The John O’Shea trained Generalife is also chasing a hat trick of wins after two victories over 1350m at Rosehill at his last two starts.
Two starts back Generalife scored a narrow win in the BenchMark 80 Handicap on June 14 then the Lonhro four year old ran away for a two and a quarter lengths wins in the Listed $100,000 Civic Stakes on July 5.
Romantic Moon is the next in the betting at $7.50 and is stepping up to Listed grade after winning the $85,000 1500m BenchMark 83 for the fillies and mares at Rosehill on June 28.
Last year’s Winter Stakes winner, the Gai Waterhouse trained Under The Sun, has not been in the winner’s stall since that victory and is rated a $34 to collect the trophy again.
