Another upset win by Time For War is on the cards if the youngster can repeat his last start all the way win in the Group 1 $500,000 J.J. Atkins (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Time For War is set to cause another upset win in the J.J. Atkins at Eagle Farm. Photo by Daniel Costello.
With the blinkers on for the first time in the Group 2 $250,000 Mitavite BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on May 24, Tye Angland let Time For War slide to the front in the early stages and the $18 outsider went on to beat the odds on favourite Brazen Beau who tried valiantly to run down the leader in the straight.
The Gerald Ryan trained Time For War has a history of unruliness but was on his best behaviour for Angland and ironically it was Brazen Beau who bungled the start and was further back in the field than expected.
Time For War is still at juicy odds for the J.J. Atkins with Ladbrokes.com.au having marked him as a $9 chance while Brazen Beau has been put up as the favourite again at $2.20.
Ryan is happy to test the Snitzel colt over the 1600m and a win on Saturday would give the Rosehill trainer two juvenile Group 1 wins for the season after Peggy Jean won the $1m Inglis Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on the first day of ‘The Championships’ on April 12.
“We will give him a try at the 1600 metres. It might be too soon for him but he has done well since the Sires so he goes to the Group One,” Ryan told AAP.
Time For War had always shown above average ability but was his own worst enemy with his waywardness in his early races.
Apprentice Damien Thornton was able to steer Time For War to a narrow win at Rosehill on November 2 after the colt laid out down the straight.
Then at his first run back in the Autumn on March 15 with Nash Rawiller on board, he played up badly in the barrier and had to be scratched from the Group 2 $175,000 Hyland Race Colours Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick after getting both his front legs over the front of the gates.
Ryan then raided for the gear bag and produced Time For War at his next start with a barrier blanket, a browband and a set of pacifiers and with Thornton back aboard was able to win the Group 2 $175,000 Bowermans Office Furniture Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 29.
Time For War was then unplaced at his next two starts in the Inglis Sires Produce Stakes and the Group 2 $175,000 Bollinger Champagne Classic (1200m) at Doomben on May 10 but was quick to respond to the blinkers going on and was on his best behaviour in the Sires’ Produce Stakes at Doomben.
“He jumped to the lead and he ran up to what he was showing coming into the Slipper. He won the Pago Pago and ran fourth in the Sires,” stable representative Sterling Alexiou said after the win.
“It was just about him doing the right thing. He has been a bit Jekyll and Hyde lately but what he has shown us at home he has got good ability, it is just a matter of coming to race day and bringing it with him.”
Other two year olds in the betting for the J.J. Atkins are the Gai Waterhouse trained Almalad at $4.50, local youngster Looks Like The Cat at $7, Melbourne colt Pressing at $8 and the Darley pair of Careless at $9 and Mohave at $10.
