Despite being thrown a couple of curve balls, trainer Bede Murray remains optimistic about the chances of Isle Be Ready at Rosehill on Saturday.
Murray entered the gelding for a Benchmark 80 event for three-year-olds but when nominations were published, he instead found Isle Be Ready in a Benchmark 80 race for three-year-olds and upwards.
The error was quickly rectified but then Murray received another surprise.
“I expected him to get about 54.5 kg,” Murray said.
“I was advised it was a Benchmark 80 race but when I sat down to look at the weights over dinner I realised they had made it a Benchmark 74 race.
“There was no notification of that when the nominations were done.”
As a result of the class downgrade, Isle Be Ready has been given 57.5kg.
He will also have a new rider in leading apprentice Chad Schofield whose claim will reduce his impost by two kilos.
Murray can’t recall Schofield riding for him before but is a big fan of the youngster.
“I think it might be his first ride for me,” Murray said.
“I’ve been following him since his first ride because people were always telling me he was a very promising apprentice but I just haven’t had an opportunity to put him on a horse until now.”
Isle Be Ready comes into Saturday’s N & A Fruit Distributors Handicap (1500m) in good form having posted an all-the-way win over a similar trip at Canterbury last start.
He also revels in the wet.
Rosehill was rated a heavy (9) on Wednesday and Murray said it wasn’t much better at Kembla Grange where Isle Be Ready had a light workout.
“It won’t worry him,” Murray said of the heavy rating.
“He did a bit of work on the sand (Wednesday morning) and a bit of swimming.
“He’s race fit.”
An 1800-metre race for two-year-olds, which was to be run at the washed-out Randwick meeting on Monday, has been transferred to Saturday’s program.
It attracted a final field of six, three from the David Payne stable.
