A rain affected track at Randwick on Saturday will help Jungle Edge take off in the Group 2 $200,000 Missile Stakes (1200m).
Jungle Edge, above, will appreciate the soft ground at Randwick for the Missile Stakes. Photo by Steve Hart.
All of Jungle Edge’s eleven wins have been on soft and heavy tracks and he looks likely to have conditions to suit with the Randwick surface rated a soft 5 at acceptance time on Wednesday and there is more rain forecast in the lead up to the weekend.
The Mick Bell trained Jungle Edge has drawn barrier four in the nine horse Missile Stakes field with regular rider Kevin Forrester in the saddle again.
Forrester has been aboard the seven year old for his last seven starts and the pair combined for wins in the Group 3 $150,000 E-Group Security Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 25 and in the Group 3 $125,000 Taxibox BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on May 20.
The combination of Jungle Egde and Forrester was also Group 1 placed on two occasions during the Sydney Autumn Carnival with a third in the $700,000 Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill and a third in the $600,000 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick as well as running second in the Group 1 $700,000 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm during the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Bell had also entered Jungle Edge for the rescheduled Group 3 $150,000 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Sandown on Sunday but his preference would be to run on the soft ground at Randwick.
“The entry for the Bletchingly was made just in case we got a power of rain but that doesn’t look like happening, so I don’t think I’ll even accept,” Bell told AAP.
“He’ll probably be short of a run on the weekend but he’s stripping nice and fit, however it would have been good to get a trial into him first.”
Multiple Group 1 winner Le Romain will lead the Missile Stakes field out onto the track and will jump from barrier eight with Glyn Schofield back in the saddle.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Tycoon Tara has drawn the rails and will be having her first run back after winning the Group 1 $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Tiara (1350m) at Doomben on June 24.
The Snowdens will also saddle up That’s A Good Idea (barrier 7) who will be fitter for a first up sixth to Boss Lane in the $100,000 July Sprint (1100m) at Randwick on July 22.
Boss Lane (barrier 3) is also going around in the Missile Stakes and trainer Ron Quinton has stuck with claiming apprentice Andrew Adkins in the non-claiming weight for age sprint.
The consistent The Monstar has Josh Adams aboard again and will jump from barrier five with a norton bit and a tongue tie back on as well as a one eyed blinker on for the first time.
