Promising three year old Bascule will be tested for an Autumn campaign when he resumes from a spell in the $80,000 1Print Handicap (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Jockey James Winks will be aboard the Chris Waller trained Bascule at Moonee Valley. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Bascule showed loads of potential as a late two year old and early three year old with a debut second to subsequent Group 3 winner and Group 1 performer Panzer Division before winning his next two starts at Warwick Farm and on the Kensington track at Randwick.
Melbourne foreperson Justine Hales has been in charge of the Chris Waller trained colt who will kick off this preparation in the BenchMark 78 for three year olds before working his way up through the classes.
“Chris will just get him up through the grades, I think,” Hales told Racing Ahead.
“He never likes to over tax them early and he might have some options for him in the Autumn I guess if he keeps going well down here.”
Hales has been pleased with the way the Thorn Park colt has settled into his new surroundings at Flemington and coped okay with a trip to Moonee Valley on Thursday morning to have a look at the tricky circuit.
“He has been really well since he has been down here,” Hales said.
“We took him to the Valley on Thursday, he got around the track really well. The trackwork rider was really rapped with how he worked.”
Bascule has drawn barrier two in the six horse field and will be ridden by Melbourne jockey James Winks.
Adelaide three year old Eclair Choice from Phillips Stokes’ Morphettville stables looks one of the hardest for Bascule to beat and has drawn next to him at gate three with Luke Nolen in the saddle.
Eclair Choice will have the advantage of race fitness on his side and is rock solid in condition heading to Moonee Valley with five runs under his belt this campaign.
The California Dane gelding has been racing consistently with a first up win over 1050m in a BenchMark 70 three year old Handicap at Morphettville on September 13 before recording four placings on his home track.
Eclair Choice finished third over 1250m on September 27 before stringing together three seconds, the latest over 1000m on the Morphettville Park track on November 15, and Stokes believes it is time to give him a chance to head back to Melbourne.
Bascule heads the betting at $3 for the 1Print Handicap with Ladbrokes.com.au in a very tight market order that has five of the six runners under double figures.
Eclair Choice is next in the market order at $4 ahead of Durendal at $4.20, Written Dash at $5.50, Bride Of Tokyo at $6 and first starter Hell On Earth is the outsider of the field at $31.
