The 2015 Heatherlie Stakes field has released and Taiyoo, Let’s Make Adeal and Sonntag have been allocated wide draws for the Listed event that will be held at Caulfield on Saturday.
Taiyoo will need plenty of luck in running to return to winning form in the 2015 Heatherlie Stakes. Photo by: Adrienne Bicknell
Taiyoo will carry the top weight of 60 kilograms in the Heatherlie Stakes and his task was made even more difficult when he was allocated barrier 17 when the final field was released this morning.
Taiyoo won more races than any other horse in Melbourne last season and he stamped himself as a genuine contender at Group level when he took out the Listed Australian Torney Night Cup (2500m) and Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes (2600m) before he finished a gallant second behind Tanby in the Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m).
The Haradasun gelding started his 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 15 and he hit the line fairly to finish only two and a half lengths behind Mourinho.
Trainer Nigel Blackiston was very bullish about the chances of Let’s Make Adeal in the Heatherlie Stakes yesterday, but his confidence is sure to have dropped somewhat after the staying mare was allocated the outside gate.
Let’s Make Adeal returned to a semblance of her best form with a close second in the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on May 2 and she took out the Listed Centaurea Stakes (2000m) at the same venue on May 16 before she finished a credible fourth in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2200m).
Another horse that had no luck in the 2015 Heatherlie Stakes barrier draw was Sonntag and the Queensland Derby winner will jump from barrier six in the Listed event this weekend.
Sonntag made a slow start to his autumn campaign and he was clearly outclassed in races like the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 14, but he returned to winning form in the Macau Handicap (2800m) at Flemington on May 9 before he finished a more than credible second in the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes (3200m) at Flemington on May 23.
Gai Waterhouse-trained Excess Knowledge will start next to Sonntag in the Heatherlie Stakes and he was been quickly stepped up in distance after he finished a flat fifth in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes.
One of the big winners of the Heatherlie Stakes barrier draw was Her Majesty The Queen Of England-owned Bold Sniper, who is set to make his Australian racing debut.
Bold Sniper took a while to settle in Australia, but he finished second behind subsequent Group 1 winner Contributer in the Listed Wolferton Handicap (2000m) at Royal Ascot last year and has impressed the Lindsay Park Team with his recent track work.
Extra Zero, Escado, Maygrove, La Amistad, Travolta, Dylan’s Promise, Lord Durante, Iggimacool, Onpicalo, Magnapal and Dig A Pony round out the 2015 Heatherlie Handicap field, while Pacific Heights and Another Lad Al are the two emergencies.
