Sweet Idea has been backed into Missile Stakesodds of $3.70 and is currently a narrow favourite in the betting market for the star-studded Group 2 event that will be held at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Sweet Idea has the chance to maintain her stellar first-up record in the Missile Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Rebel Dane opened as favourite in the Missile Stakes betting market at Ladbrokes but has drifted out to $3.80, while Sweet Idea was backed in from her opening quote of $4.
Sweet Idea will be returning to the races for the first time since she finished ninth behind Lankan Rupee in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick and both trainer Gai Waterhouse and jockey Tommy Berry are confident that the Snitzel mare is in for a big 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign.
Berry revealed last month that he believes Sweet Idea is capable of recording a maiden win at Group 1 level during her spring preparation and Waterhouse told Sky Racing HQ that she has been thrilled with the trackwork of the four-year-old ahead of the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) this weekend.
“I thought that her gallops between races were very impressive, especially last Saturday where she was in the blinkers,” Waterhouse said.
“I thought that she was a very focused mare there and she has made the weight-for-age improvement.
“I believe and I think that she will be rocking and rolling at Royal Randwick there on Saturday.”
Sweet Idea made her racing debut as an early two-year-old at the end of 2012 and she finished second in both the Group 3 McLachlan Stakes (1200m) and Magic Millions Classic (1200m) – despite being the first horse across the line in the $2 million race.
The talented filly returned to the races, after a brief freshen-up, in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens and went on to finish third behind stablemate Overreach in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m).
Sweet Idea had only one start during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival after she was suspended for three months after bleeding when second in the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm, but she showed she had taken no harm from the incident when she took out both the Wyong Magic Millions Stakes (1200m) and Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) during her summer campaign.
Waterhouse was desperate to win a Group 1 with Sweet Idea during the autumn and she looked on track when she took out the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m), but she was narrowly denied a maiden win at the highest level of racing by Steps In Time in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m).
Sweet Idea remains favourite in Missile Stakes betting markets, but there has also been some support for Team Hawkes-trained Messene ($4) and talented imported galloper Weary ($9.50).
