Champion Hong Kong jockey the ‘Magic Man’ Joao Moreira will be instructed to ride Sebring Dream quiet from a wide barrier in the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Oaks (registered as Australasian Oaks) (2000m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Sebring Dream, above, will be ridden quiet from a wide barrier in the Schweppes Oaks at Morphettville. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Sebring Dream drew barrier eighteen in the original draw in the sixteen horse field plus four emergencies and looks likely to jump from gate fourteen when the field is reduced to the final sixteen at start time.
The only two fillies to have drawn wider than Sebring Dream are her stablemate Harlow Gold at nineteen and the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young trained Ceylon who will jump from the extreme outside gate.
Sebring Dream’s racing pattern is to settle back in the field and Moreira will no doubt give the Sebring filly every possible chance.
“Her natural pattern is to get back. We were hoping to draw a better gate and have her a little closer but she will go back. She has been hitting the line hard in her lead up runs,” co-trainer Tom Dabernig said.
Ben Hayes, who oversees the Adelaide operation of the expanding Lindsay Park Racing Team that includes his father David Hayes and his cousin Tom Dabernig who look after the main base at Euroa in Victoria, knows that Moreira will bring Sebring Dream into the race at the right time.
“She is a legitimate chance and it is not a bad thing to have one of the best jockeys in the world on your horse,” Ben Hayes told The Advertiser.
“She has come on a lot from her last run.”
“She is thriving, looks well in the coat and worked well at Morphettville.
Sebring Dream has had a solid lead up to the Schweppes Oaks and has had four runs since her first up win in a 1300m BenchMark 70 Handicap at Sandown on February 22.
The filly has been racing fairly consistently at her last three starts with a third in the Group 3 $150,000 Alexandra Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley, a fourth in a 1600m three year old fillies Handicap at Caulfield followed by a last start third to Kenedna in the Group 3 $120,000 Schweppervescence Stakes (Registered as Auraria Stakes) (1800m) at Morphettville on April 22.
Sebring Dream is currently marked at $17 for the Schweppes Oaks at Ladbrokes.com.au while the Darren Weir trained Kenedna sits at the top of the market order at $3.20.
Regan Bayliss finds himself back on board Harlow Gold who is also at double figure odds at $15.
