3 minute read
Eleven Eleven is the best horse, Our Bellagio Miss would love some rain and Travest looks the best placed – but can he be trusted – and Tudor Music is on the improve.
Trainer Greg Hickman has an interesting bunch engaged at Kembla Grange on Saturday and of the quartet it would appear he has the dark horses in the $300,000 Traffic Logistics The Warra (1000m).
Stable star Eleven Eleven is thrown in under the weight conditions with 56kg after Tyler Schiller's 3kg claim and is unbeaten at the Kembla 1000m, though there's an asterisk against that, while Our Bellagio Miss is a superior wet tracker who was given a vote of confidence from her jockey.
Hickman quickly points to Eleven Eleven's 1000m record and reminds you that those wins were in a maiden, Class 1 and Benchmark 64 two years ago.
"This is a bit different to that. This is against horses that have led up Group races,'' he said.
"He'll certainly be running home. He's not there to make up the numbers.
"Our goal has always been the Magic Millions but the horse is going as well as he's ever gone and it will be interesting."
The five-year-old, $7.50 with TAB on Friday, hit the line to his trainer's liking when he resumed with a close fourth behind Southern Lad in the Choisir Handicap (1100m) on November 2.
The 100m drop in distance is against him but variables like the speed and track conditions could negate that disadvantage too.
"I reckon it's going to be lightning. It comes down to how much rain we get,'' he said.
"You could have it all worked out and come Saturday it could all be different. I was really happy with his first run, I thought Tyler rode him well and he's improved on that run."
Our Bellagio Miss is begging for rain to fall with a heavy track record of six starts for four wins and she only finished two lengths off The Warra favourite Malkovich when she was first-up at Randwick in June.
Tommy Berry is sticking with the mare and Hickman said that's a very good pointer.
"Her trial was very good the other day and Tommy has elected to ride her at 53.5kg which is probably a little guide,'' he said.
"She's a genuine 1000m horse where Eleven Eleven is probably more a 1200m-1400m horse at his best.
"We're going to let Tommy ride how he wants, she's always going to be in a forward position. I think she's going to have to sit behind the pace, he has to ride her where she's comfortable and let her hit the line."
Travest caught the eye when he returned at Rosehill two weeks ago, running a race best 34.05 for his last 600m (Punter's Intelligence) to be beaten less than a length by Saquon.
He steps up marginally in trip into the PFD Services Midway (1400m) and is another Hickman charge that wouldn't mind a wet track.
"I thought his work was good the other day though I would have liked to see it a bit more nippier,'' he said.
"Rachel King rode him on Tuesday and was happy enough. He just promises the world and gives you an atlas sometimes."
That frank assessment has led Hickman to change how he trains Travest in an effort to coax some consistency and resolve out of him.
"He looked so exciting in the early days,'' he said.
"I'm trying to train him but not train him. I'm still experimenting with him. Keeping him a bit fresher, you're doing something but not too much, then you've got to control their attitude."
Tudor Music put in an improved showing at her second run from a spell, beaten 2.6 lengths by Satin Ribbons, and Hickman said she's capable of being competitive in the Canadian Club Handicap (1000m).
