Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup fancy La Amistad will continue her Spring Carnival Cups campaign when she steps out in the Group 3 $125,000 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
La Amistad continues on her Spring Cups campaign in the Kingston Town Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Sydneysiders are set for another wet track on Saturday with the Rosehill surface rated a heavy 8 at acceptance time on Wednesday and more showers are predicted for later in the week.
The wet track conditions won’t suit La Amistad but the Redoute’s Choice mare needs to start winning so as to qualify to run in the Group 1 $2.5m Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 18.
La Amistad only received 50kgs when weights were released last week for the Caulfield Cup and will need a decent penalty or two or win an exempt free race to gain a start in the 2400m Group 1 Handicap.
Last season’s Sydney premiership jockey James McDonald will be back aboard La Amistad who has drawn barrier four in the fifteen horse Kingston Town Stakes field.
The half sister to three time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva showed her staying ability during the Sydney Autumn Carnival and after winning over 2100m and 2400m in restricted grade went on to win the Listed $100,000 W J McKell Cup (2400m) at Randwick on May 24.
La Amistad resumed over 1600m in the Listed $150,000 XXXX Gold Hawkesbury Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury on August 21 and caught the eye with a late finishing third to Mr Chard, indicating that she was in line to improve as the distanced got longer deeper into the Spring.
Tough Melbourne campaigner Mr O’Ceirin will carry the top weight of 59kgs in the Kingston Town Stakes with Luke Nolen to ride and will jump from gate five and will have no trouble with the wet conditions with two wins on the heavy to his credit.
Gai Waterhouse’s last start winner, English import Greatwood, also showed his liking for the soft conditions with an all the way victory in the Listed $100,000 Premier’s Cup (1800m) at Rosehill on August 30.
Tommy Berry will back aboard the five year old and will have no trouble crossing the field from gate twelve to take up a prominent position again.
Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller has accepted with four runners in the Kingston Town Stakes, with Opinion, Hoylonny and He’s Your Man all having won on slow tracks while Lucky Chappy has no wet track form at all.
He’s Your Man has shown plenty of promise this campaign with a win in the Listed $100,000 Winter Challenge (1500m) at Rosehill on August 2 before a last start third behind stablemates Greatwood and Bonfire in the Premier’s Cup.
La Amistad is listed as a $21 chance in both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup market orders with Ladbrokes.com.au.
