First Seal has been included in the 2015 Coolmore Classic field, but will jump from towards the outside of the field for the Group 1 event at Rosehill Gardens this weekend.
First Seal will take on older horses for the first time in the 2015 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill Gardens this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
First Seal has stamped herself as the best filly in Australia with impressive victories in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m), the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) and the Group 2 Surround Stakes (1400m), but she will taking on older horses for the first time in her racing career this weekend.
The Fastnet Rock filly will carry 55.5 kilograms in the Coolmore Classic, but may need some luck in running after being allocated barrier 11.
First Seal is not the only horse in the Coolmore Classic that may need some luck as running as a number of the other leading contenders were all allocated wide gates.
Dear Demi has been allocated the top weight of 58 kilograms and will jump from barrier 12 in the Coolmore Classic this weekend.
The Group 1 winning mare returned to racing with a credible fifth behind Danesiri in the Group 3 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm on February 28 and will be having her second straight start in the Coolmore Classic after finishing 11th behind Steps In Time last year.
Arabian Gold will start next to Dear Demi in the outside gate and is also going into the race second-up after finishing eighth in the Guy Walter Stakes.
Trainer David Vandyke is confident that Arabian Gold has taken plenty of benefit from her first-up run and he believes that the Dubawi mare can return to her best form in the Coolmore Classic this weekend and play a part in the finish.
Rounding out the mares that will start from the outside of the Coolmore Classic field is Gai Waterhouse-trained Diamond Drille, who will jump from barrier ten.
Diamond Drille has not recorded a race win since she took out the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and she produced a flat performances in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) and the Guy Walter Stakes.
One of the big winners of the Coolmore Classic barrier draw was Rex Lipp-trained Tinto, who is set to receive an ideal run into the race after drawing barrier five.
Tinto won both the Listed City Of Toowoomba Quality (1625m) and Magic Millions Stayers Cup (1800m) before she returned to racing with a credible sixth in the Guy Walter Stakes and looms as a leading contender in the Coolmore Classic.
Three-year-olds have a strong record in the Coolmore Classic and First Seal joined in the Group 1 event by fellow three-year-olds Amicus (barrier two), Adrift (barrier three) and Abduction (barrier nine), while the final field is rounded out by Thump (barrier seven), Mahara (barrier four), Hera (barrier six) and Tarloshan (barrier one).
