The Gai Waterhouse trained Bull Point has an excellent chance to knock out the favourites in the Group 1 $600,000 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Bull Point has good chance to knock out the favourites in the Royal Randwick Guineas. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Leading form analyst Gary Crispe rates Bull Point a top chance in the Randwick Guineas and the colt is at the handy odds of $8.50 with Ladbrokes.com.au.
In a fairly open betting race, New Zealand colt El Roca heads the market order at $4.20 in front of fellow Kiwi Atlante at $6 with the Peter Moody trained Dissident and Eurozone from the Cummings camp sharing the next line of betting at $8.
Crispe pointed out that Waterhouse had targeted this race for Bull Point and even bypassed a run in the Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 1 to have him right for Randwick.
“Gai Waterhouse has specifically set this colt for the Randwick Guineas, even bypassing the Australian Guineas to concentrate on this race,’’ Crispe told The Daily Telegraph.
“Bull Point profiles well and comes into the Randwick race third-up and ready to improve his peak 116 Timeform rating.”
Waterhouse sent the Fastnet Rock colt back to Sydney after running fourth to Moment Of Change in the Group 1 $500,000 Cathay Pacific Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 22.
Leading Melbourne jockey Damien Oliver will again be on Bull Point and is developing a good association with the three year old after winning the Group 3 $135,000 John Moule Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 1 at his previous run.
Crispe anticipates that Oliver will ride Bull Point a bit more quietly than in the Futurity Stakes when he followed the winner Moment Of Change who set a solid tempo.
“I would not be surprised to see Damien Oliver ride him slightly further back, saving him for that final late charge,’’ Crispe said.
Stable foreman Mark Newnham spoke to Oliver and said that headline jockey thought that he had ridden the colt a bit close at Caulfield.
“Damien said he thinks he had him a touch close last start,” Newnham said.
“Moment Of Change runs fast sectionals and he did the donkey work. Damien feels he will be better if he makes a run at them.”
Waterhouse and Oliver have a good chance to collect their third Group 1 together for the season after they combined with English import Fiorente to win last year’s Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington in the Spring and the Group 1 $1m Darley Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington last Saturday.
Waterhouse has three runners in the Royal Randwick Guineas and apart from Bull Point will saddle up Hussonet colt Woodbine ($13) and $21 chance Romantic Touch.
Woodbine was sent out the favourite when fourth to Dissident in the Group 2 $200,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on March 1 when fourth with Romantic Touch finishing further back in the field in sixth spot.
