David Hayes has both Pago Rock and Gregersin the field for the 2014 The Goodwood and he is expecting both his charges to run well in the Group 1 event at Morphettville on Saturday.
Pago Rock will be ridden by apprentice jockey Kayla Nisbet in the 2014 The Goodwood at Morphettville on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Pago Rock started his autumn preparation with a most impressive fourth in the Group 2 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 15 and he performed well without winning in the Listed Hoysted Handicap (1000m), Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and Listed City Of Greater Dandenong Stakes (1200m) before returning to winning form in the Noel Rundle Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield on April 19.
The Rock Of Gibraltar gelding is currently available at the lucrative 2014 The Goodwood odds of $26, but Hayes is confident that the six-year-old is a genuine chance of giving jockey Kayla Nisbet a dream start to her Group 1 riding career in The Goodwood on Saturday.
“She has had two rides on the horse for two wins and is drawn to get a lovely run probably midfield and then clear galloping room in the straight,” Hayes said.
“He has run fourth in a Lightning and in handicap conditions and around the bend I think that he is very well placed.”
Talented filly Gregers will face Pago Rock in The Goodwood on Saturday and the daughter of Commands looks extremely well-weighted with just 53.5 kilograms on her back.
Gregers was a consistent performer during the 2014 Melbourne Festival Of Racing, finishing fourth in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m), second in the Listed MSS Security Stakes (1100m) and fourth in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m), and battled on bravely to finish third in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Classic (1200m) at Morphettville on April 26.
Hayes said that Gregers has taken plenty of benefit out of her run in the Robert Sangster Classic and believes that she is primed for The Goodwood this weekend.
“Gregers is drawn to get a great run behind,” Hayes said.
“I think that five weeks between runs she just got found out the other day and with the benefit of that run she will run the 1200 right out and be very hard to beat.”
Gregers has been one of the best-backed runners in 2014 The Goodwood betting markets and is now into a quote of $10; with Driefontein ($7) still a narrow favourite from Miracles Of Life ($7.50), Platelet ($7.50) and Sistine Demon ($8).
