French import Silverball is well in contention in the betting for the Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on October 3 following his tough win at Rosehill last Saturday.
Silvberball is well in contention for The Metropolitan at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Winning rider Brenton Avdulla brought Silverball to the middle of the track in the straight and the grey put in a long sustained run to score a half length win over the David Vandyke trained Maurus in the Group 3 $125,000 Thoroughbred Central Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).
The Chris Waller trained Silverball is now the $10 second favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au for the Metropolitan behind the John O’Shea trained Magic Hurricane who heads the market order at $9.
Waller also has 2013 Doomben Cup winner Beaten Up well up the Metropolitan market order at $10 alongside of the favourite’ss stablemates Hartnell and Hauraki.
Waller was impressed with Silverball’s strong win in the Kingston Town Stakes and expects him be suited by the 2400m of the Metropolitan.
“It was good to get the win and it was good to see him fight the whole length of the straight,” Waller said after the race on Saturday.
“The race was never over until the last 100 metres, but he was strong on the line.
“To me he looks more like a Metropolitan horse.
“There is three weeks between runs, so I have to make sure I get him a little bit fitter before the run.
“We won’t completely rule out the Epsom, but it would be doubtful at this stage.”
Magic Hurricane and Silverball clashed in the Listed $100,000 Premier’s Cup (1800m) at Rosehill on August 29 with the O’Shea stayer getting the judge’s decision by a nose.
While Silverball looks likely to go into the Metropolitan without another run, O’Shea is looking to start Magic Hurricane in Saturday’s Group 2 $200,000 Hill Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.
“We will probably run him in the Hill after this because he likes being a little bit fresh and we will see what it brings” O’Shea said.
“He is still nice and bright and burly and he is an exciting horse for the boss.”
Magic Hurricane is another one of the Godolphin European imports that O’Shea has firing heading up to the major Group 1 races of the Spring Carnival.
Hartnell broke through for an Australian Group 1 win when he took out the Group 1 $1.5m The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill during the Sydney Autumn Carnival earlier in the year and resumed with a solid fourth to stablemate Complacent in the Group 2 $250,000 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 5.
