Sydney galloper Adnocon will line up at Eagle Farm on Saturday ‘rain or shine’ after trainer Gerald Ryan scratched the gelding from the Sunshine Coast last week because of the heavy track conditions.
Adnocon will run in the Ascot Handicap regardless of the track rating - photo © Taron Clarke
Adnocon will need to run in the Listed $80,000 Ascot Handicap (1200m) if Ryan wants to start him over 1600m in the Tattersall’s Mile at Eagle Farm in two weeks even if he has to face a wet track.
Eagle Farm is currently rated a dead 5 and even if the forecast showers arrive, the track will be nowhere near as wet as the track at the Sunshine Coast last week.
“He has to run Saturday because I want to go 1600m with him in two weeks, the Tattersall’s Mile,” Ryan Said.
Adnocon was one of the early favourites for the Listed $175,000 Reed Property Group Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast last week which was taken out by the Kelso Wood trained Belltone on a heavy 10.
But Ryan didn’t want to send the six year old around on the heavy second up after running a terrific race first up when third to Belltone in the Listed $175,000 City Of Ipswich Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich on June 16 and scratched him race morning.
“It was only because of the track,” Ryan said.
“He’s won on slow going but nothing worse than that. After I scratched Saturday morning I worked him late and I was wishing I hadn’t had to scratch him.”
Adnocon ($3.80), to be ridden by Damian Browne and the Robert Heathcote trained Griffon ($3.60) are battling for favouritism for the Ascot Handicap with the likely pacemaker Audacious Spirit next in the betting at $4.20.
Griffon, formerly trained by Bart Cummings won his second race for Heathcote when he scored first up in the Listed $80,000 David Jones Lightning Handicap (1000m) at Eagle Farm on June 9 then finished off the race strongly again when third to River Lad in the Group 3 $175,000 W J Healy Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on June 23.
Norm Hilton is expecting vast improvement from Bold Glance after the gelding only beat three runners home first up in the Healy Stakes after recovering from a throat operation.
“He ran OK first up. He was just short of a run and I expect a big improvement on Saturday,” Hilton said.
“We missed out on trialling him in the lead-up. Every other time he’s won first up he’s had a good trial leading into it and we didn’t get it this time.”
“He had an entrapped epiglottis, which is a flap in the throat that opens and closes.”
“It was getting trapped closed. In the Gold Coast Stakes Dean Tanti said when he put him under pressure he started making a noise.”
“We had him scoped that week and we had to operate on it.”
Bold Glance, to be ridden by Ric McMahon has been friendless in the early betting and is rated a $12 chance.
