Trainer Robbie Laing has So Si Bon at his top for the clash against the Kiwi three year olds in the Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on day one of ‘The Championships’ on Saturday.
Kerrin McEvoy, above, rides So Si Bon in the Australian Derby at Randwick. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
So Si Bon will be having his fourth Autumn Carnival run in the Australian Derby and Laing said the So You Think colt will be right at his peak and a good chance to reverse the result with Gingernuts after finishing third, beaten two and a half lengths, behind the New Zealander in the Group 1 $600,000 Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill on March 18.
“It was his third run in and it’s his fourth run in now and he’s right at his top,” Laing told AAP.
“That should improve him a bit.”
“I’m only hoping Gingernuts peaked a month ago, peaked again two weeks ago and being a baby he might be on the downward spiral.”
“He was going to win by four or five lengths at the 200 the other day and right on the line, he might have eased up, but won by two.”
So Si Bon is also lining up against the Team Hawkes trained Inference again who beat him home when second in the Rosehill Guineas.
Inference also beat So Si Bon when they finished third and fourth in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
So Si Bon is listed as an $12 chance at Ladbrokes.com.au and has drawn barrier seven in the Australian Derby and will be ridden again by Kerrin McEvoy who was aboard in the Rosehill Guineas.
The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards trained Gingernuts is holding onto favouritism at $3.20 ahead of Inference at $4.60, Kiwi colt Jon Snow at $7 and Anaheim at $8.
Jon Snow finished third to Gingernuts in the Group 1 NZ$1m New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on March 4 and has to back up week to week after beating Australian Derby rival Prized Icon in the Group 2 $200,000 Power Distribution Australia Tulloch Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill last Saturday.
The James Cummings trained Prized Icon is marked at $11 for the Australian Derby.
