Just six autumn hopefuls remain in the mix for Saturday’s Group 1 $750,000 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Sandown with two early scratchings from the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes Day support act.
Alligator Blood kicks off his autumn as a genuine winning chance in a small 2023 Futurity Stakes field at Sandown. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The weight-for-age 2023 Futurity Stakes is set to run as Sandown Race 8 at 5:00pm (AEDT) and it is a small field left to contest the Group 1.
Annabel Neasham opted to withdraw one of her contenders with Laws Of Indices (8) instead racing in Sydney against Anamoe on Saturday in the Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
The other early scratching from the Futurity field was Team Hawkes’ market mover Mr Mozart (1) who was drawn the rails.
Updated Futurity Stakes betting at Ladbrokes has I’m Thunderstruck as the firming $2.90 favourite to win second-up from barrier two with the in-form Ms Jamie Kah in the saddle.
The son of Shocking, runner-up to Anamoe in the spring’s Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m), was good fresh when fourth in the Group 1 C.F. Orr (1400m).
He returns to the Sandown track for the Orr fitting for the run over the same distance having been beaten only a half-length fresh.
The danger drawn one on his outside in gate three with Blake Shinn riding is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Alligator Blood.
All Too Hard six-year-old Alligator Blood pays $3.70 to win his first-up autumn assignment with the gun gelding last seen defeating Zaaki in the Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington over the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
He has a strong first-up record (8:3-1-1) and plenty of form over the Futurity distance (8:5-0-0) making him a terrific chance here.
Three other runners are also under $10 for the win in a wide-open edition of the Futurity with the Ben & JD Hayes-trained Champions Mile third place-getter Mr Brightside ($5), the consistent Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Nugget ($5.50) coming off a very close CF Orr third and Neasham’s resuming runner My Oberon ($9.50) all with genuine claims.
Co-trainer JD Hayes rates Mr Brightside highly in the small Futurity field after the horse’s huge run for firth in the Orr when taken back from out wide before circling his rivals only to finish under a length off the winner.
“He won’t have to concede so much ground, I think he’ll be able to put himself, like he can and has shown in the past, tactically closer,” Hayes told Punters this week.
“If he reels off those sectionals (again), hopefully they’re two lengths behind him (at the finish).”
Rounding out the Futurity Stakes field and betting markets as the potential value in the race at $15 is the Andrew Forsman-trained Sacred Falls gelding Aegon.
