SAFEGUARD
Exceed And Excel colt Safeguard is looking to remain unbeaten when he contests this Saturday’s $220,000 Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.
Safeguard won impressively by two lengths over 1000m at Flemington on debut last December, before being spelled and returning victorious in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on April 13.
Horses to finish behind Safeguard were Everage (won the listed Keith Mackay Stakes at her next start), Il Cavallo (impressive debut winner who he meets again in the Danehill) and Iconic (subsequent winner of the $250,000 Bendigo Vobis Gold Rush).
He commenced this campaign on a winning note, claiming the $135,000 Vain Stakes (1100m) at Group 3 level. Whilst many would be of the opinion that Fast ‘n’ Rocking was unfortunate not to win, Safeguard did plenty of work on speed throughout and was a worthy winner.
Fast ‘n’ Rocking has since won the Group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield and is a leading contender for the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) later this month.
Clearly, Safeguard has above average ability and the way in which he has been patiently handled by Sheikh Mohammed’s outfit suggests they also rate him highly.
GREGERS
Exciting filly Gregers has showed what she can do to her own gender, now it is time to show she can do it against the boys when she tackles Saturday’s Danehill Stakes.
A cracking race full of high-class three-year-old’s, luck in running is going to play a huge part in success.
But Gregers is a filly that can make her own luck, blessed with good early speed and the tactical pace to put herself into a good position.
The David Hayes-trained filly was an awesome winner first-up at Moonee Valley, lumping 57kg to a devastating win where she accounted for stakes-winning juvenile Metastasio by 4¼ lengths.
Last start, the daughter of Commands was a little more “workman-like”, but still created a good impression when scoring at the same venue by a length-and-three-quarters.
Gregers is well in on the minimum weight for a filly that has won three of her four starts, and finished fourth in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at her only other run.
And from gate 13, she should be able to get to what is usually the right part of the track at Flemington down the straight these days.
– Racing Network
