Last year’s quinella of Secret Agenda and Viddora headline the nominations for the 2018 Group 1 $1m Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on May 5.

Secret Agenda, above, is among the nominations for the 2018 Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville. Photo by Jenny Barnes.

Secret Agenda, above, is among the nominations for the 2018 Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville. Photo by Jenny Barnes.

Thirty-two fillies and mares have been nominated for the Robert Sangster Stakes with the Lindsay Park trained Catchy and Anthony Freedman’s Shoals adding to the Group 1 winners among the entries.

Catchy, the winner of the 2017 Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, is one of four fillies and mares prepared by the team at Lindsay Park, David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, and is joined by Formality, Miss Gunpowder and Tulip.

Shoals is a two times Group 1 winner for Freedman with victories in the $500,000 Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival as well as a win in the $500,000 James Boag’s Premium Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick during the 2018 Sydney Autumn Carnival.

The Mick Price trained Secret Agenda and Lloyd Kennewell’s Viddora clashed again at Morphettville last Saturday on their way to this year’s Robert Sangster Stakes when they finished second (Viddora) and third (Secret Agenda) in the Group 3 $120,000 Hughes Limousines R N Irwin Stakes (1100m).

Price is toying with the idea of putting the blinkers on Secret Agenda in a bid to help her claim back to back wins in the Robert Sangster Stakes.

“Last year she led throughout to win the Sangster, so that’s a bit abnormal for her,” Price told the Herald Sun.

“I might try blinkers on her in track work and will consider running her in them.”

The R N Irwin Stakes winner Dainty Tess is also among the nominations for the Robert Sangster Stakes.

Leading Victorian trainer Darren Weir also has a strong team of four nominated the Robert Sangster Stakes, head up by Quilista who scored a hat trick with her all the way win in the Group 2 $300,000 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on day two of The Championships on April 14.

Weir’s other entries are Lyuba, Twitchy Frank and Whispering Brook.

The locally trained Viddora heads the pre-post betting for the Robert Sangster Stakes at $4.50 with Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of Dainty Tess and Quilista at $7 and Catchy at $9.

Pre-post betting for the 2018 Robert Sangster Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.50 Viddora, $7 Dainty Tess, Quilista, $9 Catchy, $10 Super Cash, Whispering Brook, $12 Missrock, $13 Secret Agenda, Shoals, $15 Cool Passion, Ghisoni, Miss Gunpowder, Tulip, $17 Houtzen, Legless Veuve, $21 Formality, Gogo Grace, Pedrena, Seannie, Zestful, $26 Danish Twist, Ocean Jewel, Prussian Vixen, $31 Mica Lil, $34 It‘s Been A Battle, Lyuba, $41 True Excelsior, $51 Deja Blue, Mystified, $81 Nipperkin, Selena, Twitchy Frank,

Nominations for the 2018 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 1330×60371 CATCHY F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 106
2 x6x03122x3 COOL PASSION M 6 Tony McEvoy 99
3 2157323×11 DAINTY TESS M 4 Daniel Morton 105
4 x7490x3900 DANISH TWIST M 6 Kris Lees 98
5 x9418x3870 DEJA BLUE M 5 Robbie Griffiths 85
6 2x11013x0x FORMALITY F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 101
7 515x02x6x6 GHISONI M 5 James Cummings 100
8 14x212615x GOGO GRACE M 4 Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas 91
9 5x3179x316 HOUTZEN F 3 Toby Edmonds 98
10 1718x41x17 IT’S BEEN A BATTLE M 4 Shane Oxlade 94
11 x15028x26x LEGLESS VEUVE (NZ) M 4 Henry Dwyer 97
12 5x20821x59 LYUBA M 5 Darren Weir 98
13 3672171×12 MICA LIL M 4 Mark Minervini 77
14 10x430x701 MISS GUNPOWDER M 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 98
15 1449729×37 MISSROCK M 4 Robbie Laing 106
16 2634532×73 MYSTIFIED M 4 Ryan Balfour 74
17 11333×1027 NIPPERKIN M 4 Barry Brook 79
18 12x11761x7 OCEAN JEWEL F 3 Simon A Miller 76
19 x12121x21x PEDRENA M 4 Mick Price 97
20 0x009x1094 PRUSSIAN VIXEN M 5 Michael Mehegan 100
21 3347×28111 QUILISTA M 4 Darren Weir 105
22 6x557x1368 SEANNIE F 3 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 73
23 7x5114x193 SECRET AGENDA M 5 Mick Price 111
24 63530x94x7 SELENIA M 4 Robbie Griffiths 76
25 1x1221x81x SHOALS F 3 Anthony Freedman 108
26 180x188x1x SUPER CASH M 5 Andrew Noblet 109
27 435×520103 TRUE EXCELSIOR (NZ) F 3 Leon & Troy Corstens 76
28 x2450x4150 TULIP F 3 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 89
29 1121583 TWITCHY FRANK F 3 Darren Weir 73
30 212x2411x2 VIDDORA M 5 Lloyd Kennewell 110
31 537360×141 WHISPERING BROOK M 4 Darren Weir 100
32 x77204102x ZESTFUL M 6 Kris Lees 102

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.