Simon Miller has both Liberty’s Gem and Sujet in the 2015 Winterbottom Stakes field and the leading Perth trainer is happy with both horses ahead of the Group 1 event at Ascot on Saturday.
Craig Williams has been booked to ride Sujet in the 2015 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot tomorrow. Photo by: Adrienne Bicknell
Liberty’s Gem started his summer campaign with a win in the Crown Perth Trophy (1000m) at Ascot on October 17 and he was far from disgraced when third behind Rock Magic and Watermans Bay in the Group 3 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) at Ascot on November 3.
Miller told Racing Ahead that he has been happy with the form of Liberty’s Gem and he believes that the Statue Of Liberty gelding will get a lovely run in the early stages of the 2015 Winterbottom Stakes.
“Liberty’s Gem was brilliant the other day,” Miller said.
“He ran third in the lead-up race, he was the last man standing on the speed and everything else was unconscious up the straight.
“He set him up for the backmarkers and they got us.
“He needed to draw a gate and he has, so I am really pleased there.
“He can spring be forward and we can just get a drag up on Buffering.
“That in itself maps out really well.”
Sujet has had a world of potential since he made his racing debut with a second place finish in the Listed Placid Ark Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in 2013, but he has generally been an inconsistent performer during his racing career to date.
The Vital Equine gelding has generally produced his best form first-up and Miller said that he was keen to see what the five-year-old was capable of fresh at the highest level in the 2015 Winterbottom Stakes.
“Sujet has never really been tested at this level, but he is unbelievable fresh,” Miller said.
“He has had four goes for three wins and a second and the second was in his first start when Douglas Whyte rode him in a stakes race over here a couple of years ago.
“I thought that I would chance my arm and go right into this.
“It is a $1 million race and you only get one crack at it here.
“I needed to draw wide and it’s a bit weird because I was hoping to get 16 and we got it.
“He will just sit three wide, Craig can blend him in when he needs to.”
Liberty’s Gem is currently available at 2015 Winterbottom Stakes odds of $26, while Sujet is priced at $41 to record an upset win.
