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The NSW north coast is set to grab another slice of the Sydney carnival spotlight for the second successive week at Randwick on Saturday.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Last Saturday classy filly Heavenly Glow gave her Taree connections good reason to celebrate when she surged into AJc Oaks contention with her dominant win in the Group One Arrowfield Stud Stakes.
This weekend it could be Port Macquarie 's turn when trainers Tom Higgins and Tas Morton hit town with hopes high of getting among the big carnival prizemoney.
Higgins is giving his $500 bargain buy Sky Biscuit a crack at the top staying ranks in the Group 2 $200,000 Chairman's Handicap over 2600m while Morton expects Wembley to give the city-trained two-year-olds a run for their money in the $100,000 Fernhill Handicap.
Sky Biscuit may be looked on as a handy country-trained stayer but he currently holds the distinction of being the winner of the most number of races in NSW this season.
His six wins in a season reduced by a third due to equine flu include three in Sydney, two coming when Higgins transferred him to Randwick trainer Neville Voigt to cut down on the travelling from the north coast.
His last start win over 2400m at Randwick has earned Sky Biscuit a crack at Saturday's Chairman's Handicap (2600m) and if he measures up Higgins plans to start him in the $700,000 Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) on Saturday week.
"He will love the 2600m and is as fit as a fiddle,” said Higgins, adding that the gelding is thriving on the beach work he is giving him at Port Macquarie.
"He likes the beach- it has switched him right back on."
Higgins paid just $500 for the gelding, picking him up after he was “sacked” by Wembley's trainer Tas Morton when he was still a maiden.
Admittedly it did take Sky Biscuit 15 starts to win his maiden but he has since won another 12 races and more than $120,000 prizemoney.
Morton won't feel too about it if Wembley can land the Fernhill Handicap, Sydney's first 2YO race of the season over 1600m.
He is the early favourite on the strength of a strong last start third over 1400m at Randwick and Morton says the son of Arena will have no concern with the rain-affected going.
"He played around in the mud at track work on Tuesday and loved it,” Morton said.
Morton is bringing Wembley to Sydney today and will stay at Randwick for a week if all goes well in the Fernhill as he wants to back him up on Saturday week in the $450,000 Champagne Stakes.
"We are heading down early to give him every chance," Morton said.
