Mornington trainer David Brideoake has no problem about outsider Self Sense running the distance of the rescheduled 3200m Group 1 $2m Schweppes Sydney Cup at Randwick on Saturday.
Self Sense, above, is ready to run the 3200m of the Sydney Cup at Randwick. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Self Sense is one of the five new nominations for the Sydney Cup which is being re-run on Saturday after being called off mid-race on April 8 after Almoonqith and Who Shot Thebarman fell just after the winning post on the first lap of the race.
While Self Sense will be stepping up sharply in class following his recent form, Brideoake said that he has been keen to test the six year old over the two miles.
“I’ve been dying to get this horse out to two miles to tell you the truth,” Brideoake told racing.com.
“I’m pretty confident about him running the trip (3200 metres) right out. He’s had a great prep for it on the back of two solid mile-and-a-half (2400m) runs and with respect to the way he’s training, he’s going terrific.
“He’s a great stamina horse. His recovery rate after a race is quite remarkable so I’ve no doubts about him at the trip.”
Self Sense, with 51.5kg, is sixteenth in the order of entry of the sixteen nominations for the Sydney Cup which will only have fourteen horses in the final field which will be released on Wednesday morning.
If we get a run, he goes there with pretty good form as he hasn’t had much luck at his past couple in the Yarra Glen (Valley) Cup and the Mornington Cup, where he drew wide gates and wasn’t given the opportunity to run at his best,” Brideoake said.
Even though Self Sense has been unplaced from six Autumn Carnival outings, Brideoake has increased his distances throughout his preparation and said that he is ready for the 3200m of the Sydney Cup.
Two starts back Self Sense was beaten less than three lengths when sixth to Sydney Cup rival Tally in the Listed $300,000 Ladbrokes Mornington Cup (2400m) at Mornington on March 25 and followed that up with a grinding fourth, two and half lengths behind the winner Boom Time in a $100,000 Handicap over 2425m at Caulfield last Saturday.
The Lindsay Park trained Boom Time and stablemate Harlem as well as Lasqueti Spirit, and Rock On are also extra nominations for the re-running of the Sydney Cup.
In early betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Sydney Cup, Self Sense is rated one of the outsiders of the field at $51 while the Darren Weir trained Big Duke sits at the top of the market order at $3.20.
Early market order for the Sydney Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.20 Big Duke, $5 Penglai Pavilion, $7 Polarisation, $9 Lasqueti Spirit, $11 Tally, $12 Chance To Dance, $13 Who Shot Thebarman, $17 Libran, $26 Annus Mirabilis, Boom Time, Kinema, Rock On, $51 Harlem, Self Sense, $101 Mister Impatience, Pentathlon.
