High profile jockey James McDonald will be the new rider for Spill The Beans when the three year old lines up in the $400,000 Inglis 3yo Guineas (1400m) at the stand alone metropolitan meeting at Scone on Saturday.
James McDonald will be the new rider on Spill The Beans, above, in the Inglis 3yo Guineas at Scone. Photo by Steve Hart.
Spill The Beans was back in the winner’s stall last start in the Group 3 $200,000 Blacktown Workers Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) at Hawkesbury on April 30 with Tim Clark in the saddle but Clark had a previous booking for the Scone Guineas and trainer Gerald Ryan was quick to snap up the services of the high flying McDonald.
“James McDonald will ride him. Tim Clark had a commitment to another horse in the race so we were happy to get James,” Ryan told AAP.
Ryan was at a loss to explain Spill The Beans failure two starts back when eighth to Japonisme in the Group 2 $500,000 Arrowfield 3yo Sprint (1200m) at Randwick on the second day of ‘The Championships’ on April 9.
“I really don’t know what happened that day,” Ryan said.
But the top Rosehill trainer was happy to see the Snitzel colt bounce back with an all the way win in the Hawkesbury Guineas and expects to see the same thing happen at Scone on the weekend.
“I’ve always thought he would go well over 1400 metres and he proved that at Hawkesbury,” Ryan said.
“He has done nothing wrong since then so I’m hoping he can repeat what he did last time.”
Spill The Beans kicked off his Autumn Carnival Campaign with a first up win in the Group 3 $150,000 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 6 but then found the opposition a bit slick when fourth to Press Statement in the Group 2 $400,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on February 20.
Ryan then gave the three year old a freshen up leading up to the Arrowfield 3yo Sprint which topped him off nicely for the Hawkesbury Guineas.
Ryan could have two runners in the Inglis 3yo Guineas with Girl Sunday also among the nominations.
The Encosta De Lago filly was a winner two starts back in a 1350m Class 1 Handicap on the Beaumont track at Newcastle on April 21 before running fourth in a 1400m BenchMark 67 Handicap at Warwick Farm on May 4.
Peter and Paul Snowden have entered three for the Inglis 3yo Guineas, Serene Majesty, Dark Steel and Snitzel Knight while Gai Waterhouse has two three year olds among the nominations, Kimberley Star and Supply And Demand.
