Ultra-consistent mare Beaded is in the best condition of her career to avenge her defeat in last year’s Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.
The Peter Snowden-trained six-year-old is the forgotten horse in Saturday’s Group One feature at $21 with TAB Sportsbet despite finishing third to Black Caviar a year ago.
She is also the only runner in the 23-horse field with a comparable Group One record to topweight Hay List, who is $4 favourite.
Melbourne foreman Paul Snowden said Beaded faced one of the biggest challenges of her career but she had never let down the stable with her gallantry.
“This is the best we’ve had her,” Snowden said.
“Even Dad (Peter) said that the other day.
“Her record is outstanding and she hasn’t lost her zest for racing.
“She’s as keen as mustard and no doubt she can win it on Saturday, but with 23 runners you just have to have that luck.
“That is the thing that will get you over the line.
“You can’t be held up or have things go wrong because if that happens you can’t pick up those good horses.”
Beaded, who was a last-start second in the Group Two Thoroughbred Breeders Classic (1200m) at Warwick Farm, has won 10 of her 23 starts.
She is just shy of $1.6 million in prize money but had she had the luck Snowden talks about her record would give her a much greater profile.
Her only unplaced run was a long neck fourth in the 2010 Group One Stradbroke Handicap while her seven other Group One performances include a win in last year’s Doomben 10,000.
In June last year she was second twice when beaten in a photo-finish in the Stradbroke Handicap and Tatts Tiara in Brisbane after a long neck second to Response in the Group One Sportingbet Classic in Adelaide.
She also finished third in the 2010 Tatts Tiara (Winter Stakes) and 2010 All-Aged Stakes before her Newmarket third a year ago.
Hay List’s Group One record consists of seven runs for Manikato Stakes and All-Aged Stakes wins and four seconds to Black Caviar in two Lightning Stakes, the TJ Smith in Sydney and BTC Cup.
Beaded has drawn gate 14, between Hay List (15) and second favourite Bel Sprinter ($6.50) in 13, which Snowden believes is a good place to be.
“Everyone is going to want to follow those two horses at some point,” Snowden said.
Trainer Jason Warren said Bel Sprinter was in perfect order for the Newmarket after an injury scare earlier in the week when he kicked out at a rail and took skin off a leg.
“I’m happy with the way the leg looks,” Warren said. “No infection has got in there and his action is good.”
He said drawn the centre of the field was perfect for Bel Sprinter and believes he will jump with the field unlike the Oakleigh Plate where he missed the start and was a luckless 1-1/2-length sixth to Woorim.
“It is probably the hottest Newmarket we have seen in a long time where any one of 18 or so could win but he (Bel Sprinter) gets his chance,” Warren said.
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