The Gai Waterhouse stable is banking on the form of the Villiers Stakes winner to boost the chances of ex-Kiwi mare Role Model for the Listed $175,000 Treasury Casino & Hotel Bernborough Handicap (1615m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Glen Boss, above, has been booked to ride Role Model in the Bernborough Handicap at Doomben. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.
Race favourite Happy Clapper proved too strong for a field of twenty in the Group 2 $250,000 Inglis Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick last Saturday and the Pat Webster trained five year beat home Role Model at his previous start.
Role Model ran third with 57kg to Happy Clapper in a 1500m BenchMark 85 Handicap at Rosehill on November 28 and if the form around Happy Clapper proves to be right then the Waterhouse trained mare comes into calculations for the Bernborough Handicap.
Role Model drops to the 54kg minimum on Saturday and stable representative Mark Newnham is hoping the Bel Danoro mare can pick up some valuable black type with a win at Listed level.
“She is a well-bred mare and we are keen to get a black-type win beside her name,” Newnham told AAP.
“She isn’t eligible for the Magic Millions and there aren’t that many black-type races around for mares over 1600 metres at the moment.”
Role Model will be tackling the Doomben Mile at her third run back from a spell after recording a first up second in a 1200m Fillies and Mares BenchMark 85 at Rosehill on November 14 prior to running third to Happy Clapper.
Role Model kicked off her racing career in New Zealand under trainer John Sargent and was twice placed at Group 2 level with a third in the 2013 NZ$100,000 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Matamata in the Autumn and then in the Spring recorded a second for co-trainers Peter and Dawn Williams in the NZ$85,000 Wellington Guineas (1500m) at Trentham.
Since joining the Waterhouse stables Role Model has found the winner’s stall once with a victory in a 1600m 2MW Plate at Randwick back in February this year.
Three time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Glen Boss is in Brisbane for the Origin Jockey Series and Waterhouse snapped him up for the ride on Role Model who has drawn nicely at barrier two in the fourteen horse field.
Bookmakers at Ladbrokes.com.au has listed Role Model as one of the main chances in the Bernborough Handicap at $6 behind Hopfgarten at $4.80, Traveston Girl at $5 and Worthy Cause at $5.50.
Bernborough Handicap market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.80 Hopfgarten, $5 Traveston Girl, $5.50 Worthy Cause, $6 Role Model, $9 Centre Pivot, $13 Shotover River, $14 Blue Lion, $15 Lordag, $17 Feltre, $21 Bewhatyouwannabe, $26 Top Tone, $51 Victory Hotel, $61 Anna Lizzie, Trakstar.
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