In-form speedster Obsidian Dragon will be after her first black type victory when she steps out in Saturday’s Kensington Stakes at Flemington.
Prepared by David Balfour at Morphettville, the four-year-old daughter of Hidden Dragon completed a hat-trick when she scored her first win in Melbourne in the $100,000 Fisher And Paykel Premium Handicap (1000m) at Moonee Valley on New Year’s Eve.
In her usual style she sped to the front early in the 1000m event and made light of her 59.5kg topweight to score by 2-3/4 lengths from Centexpress.
On that occasion she was ridden by heavyweight rider Steven Arnold and gave 3-/12 to 5-1/2 kilograms to her rivals.
In Saturday’s $125,000 Listed 1000m set weights plus penalties feature she will carry 56kg including a 2kg penalty for earning more than $60,000 at the Valley.
However, Arnold will not be able to take the ride as he can’t make the weight and Balfour was looking at his options for a replacement.
“She has a lot of pace. I bought her for $23,000 as a weanling at the Gold Coast Magic Millions,” Balfour said of Obsidian Dragon.
“I wouldn’t say she’s the fastest I’ve had though. A few years ago I had a very fast horse called Mint Of Gold but no one ever saw the best of him as he had throat operations and tendons.
“He was a flying machine.”
Mint Of Gold won his first four starts and went on to win seven of 22 and at his only start in Melbourne was fifth to Sports in the 2000 Group One Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield.
Part-owned by Balfour’s wife along with a couple of stable clients, Obsidian Dragon has won eight races and been placed in seven of 21 starts for $347,250 in prizemoney.
Balfour left the mare with his son, Cranbourne-based trainer Todd Balfour, after her Valley win.
She has raced eight times at Group Three and Listed level for three placings, the latest a third to Kulgrinda in the Lightning Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville in late July.
Her best effort in three Group Three outings was a fourth to Streetcar Magic in the D C McKay Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville last April.
There were 15 nominations for the Kensington including Group Two winner First Command, last year’s winner Grand Duels, the prolific Northern Territory winners Canali and The Soldier, and honest sprinters General Truce and Weekend Special.
Shock Value, formerly with Jim Taylor in Western Australia, is set to have his first start for David Hayes.
The six-year-old has won nine of 27 in the west including the past two runnings of the Listed Birthday Stakes (1200m), held in early October at Belmont Park.
AAP TURF
