The Chris Waller trained I Am Serious and Melbourne mare Jamaican Rain are joint favouirtes on the eve of the running of the 2019 Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

I Am Serious, above, is the joint favourite with Jamaican Rain for the Coolmore Classic at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.

I Am Serious, above, is the joint favourite with Jamaican Rain for the Coolmore Classic at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.

Both mares are marked at $5 with Ladbrokes.com.au and the prospect of a rain affected track won’t hinder the chances of either I Am Serious and Jamaican Rain.

The Richard Laming trained Jamaican Rain is unbeaten from two runs on a heavy track while her soft track record reads three wins and a second from four starts.

Jamaican Rain showed her wet track ability with a three and three quarter lengths win on a heavy rated track in the Listed $175,000 Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast during the 2018 Queensland Winter Carnival.

The Manhattan Rain mare also showed that she was just as good on top of the ground with a first up win in the Group 3 $160,000 Mannerism Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 23.

Jamaican Rain raced on the pace in the Mannerism Stakes and took over the front running on the home turn and Glen Boss might have to use her good gate speed to overcome a wide barrier draw.

I Am Serious has also drawn awkwardly in the Coolmore Classic, one spot inside of Jamaican Rain but James McDonald will be looking to slot in midfield or better and find some cover.

I Am Serious has also shown her liking for a rain affected surface with one win from one run on the heavy and four wins and two seconds from six attempts on a soft rated track.

The Choisir mare was beaten a nose first up when runner up to White Moss in the Group 2 $200,000 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on February 23 and Waller was very happy with the run.

“She was brilliant first up without winning, she has been set for this race all along and she is a very talented mares,” Waller said.

McDonald was also pleased with the first up effort of I Am Serious and expects her to have taken a great deal of benefit from the run.

“She just needed that run a little bit and she’s come on really well,’’ McDonald told Racing New South Wales News Desk.

“She did hit a little flat spot but she appreciates around a mile. I worked her the other morning and she felt terrific.’’

I Am Serious and Jamaican Rain are the only two runners under the $10 mark for the Coolmore Classic at Ladbrokes.com.au while the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Moss Trip is the neatest to them in the betting at $12.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.