Mark Kavanagh has thrown honest sprinter Weekend Special into the deep end in Saturday’s Listed Kensington Stakes at Flemington but suspects he will be up to the task.
The Snitzel four-year-old hasn’t finished further back then second in seven starts which have yielded three wins.
A dual 1050m Morphettville winner in May and July last year, Weekend Special raced in Melbourne for the first time when he resumed with a win over Turbo Qui and Kenny Kid in a 0-82 event over 955m at Moonee Valley on December 9.
At his latest appearance the gelding was beaten a head when runner-up to Kensington rival General Truce in a 0-95 race over 955m at the Valley on New Year’s Eve.
“He’s a lightly raced, promising horse. He’s been running good times so he’s earned a crack at a race like this,” Kavanagh said.
“There are some good seasoned sprinters in the race so we’ll get a good idea of where he’s at.
“He has to go down the straight for the first time which is always a worry but we’ll see how he goes.
“If he doesn’t measure up we can send him back to the Valley.”
Weekend Special, the $6 equal favourite with TAB Sportsbet, will be ridden by Michael Rodd and drew barrier seven of the 11 runners in the 1000m set weights plus penalties event.
The race is wide open after the Anthony Freedman-trained First Command drifted from his opening quote of $4.80 to $6 while Danny O’Brien’s Decircles has come in for good support, firming from $9 to $6.
General Truce is at $7.50 with Canali and Obsidian Dragon at $8.
Dwayne Dunn stays with Decircles having ridden him in three of his four starts.
The Encosta De Lago three-year-old, who is out of a half-sister to outstanding gallopers Elvstroem and Haradasun, was runner-up to stablemate Running Tall in the Group Two Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington last March after which he was sent for a spell.
The colt won a Seymour three-year-old maiden by 4-1/2 lengths from Godspeed when resuming at his fourth start in August.
But a hock infection forced him to be scratched from the Group Three McNeil Stakes (1200m) won by Golden Archer at Caulfield later that month.
The second longest-priced runner in the race is last year’s winner Grand Duels ($31) who will be ridden for the first time by Billy Egan.
Steven Arnold, who won the race aboard Grand Duels last year, goes onto First Command who he has ridden twice to date for a win at Sandown early in the six-year-old’s career.
AAP TURF
