Jameka is the firming favourite for the Group One BMW
Caulfield Cup winner Jameka is the firming favourite for the Group One BMW with Our Ivanhowe to be taken out on race morning after failing a veterinary test.
Our Ivanhowe was the early favourite to add Saturday’s $1.5 million BMW (2400m) to his win in the Ranvet Stakes.
The Lee and Atnhony Freedman-trained horse was found to be showing signs of lameness in his off-foreleg after last Saturday’s Group One race and had a week of light exercise and swimming in an attempt to get him ready for the BMW.
But hopes were dashed on Friday afternoon when he failed an inspection by Racing NSW senior vet Dr Craig Suann.
If the meeting should be postponed for any reason, Our Ivanhowe would be reinstated into the field but as it stands he will be scratched on Saturday morning.
He remains in the Luxbet’s market at $4.20 with the Ciaron Maher-trained Jameka now the $3.60 favourite.
At her only start on a heavy track, which she will get on Saturday, Jameka won the 2015 VRC Oaks at Flemington.
She may well find herself in a battle for the lead with the 2016 VRC Oaks winner Lasqueti Spirit but the latter’s trainer Lee Curtis expects the filly to make her way to the front as she did when she won the Classic at Flemington.
“Brenton (Avdulla) will be going forward on her,” Curtis said.
“She has no tactical speed so over 2400 metres that’s what we will be doing.
“Jameka may also go forward but our intention is for Lasqueti Spirit to be ridden the same way as she was in the Oaks.”
Avdulla caught his fellow riders napping when he took $101 chance Lasqueti Spirit to the lead in the Oaks and the filly kept going to beat Harlow Gold by 3-3/4 lengths.
No three-year-old filly has won the BMW with Lasqueti Spirit at $17 to break the mould.
While most of the other Australian Oaks-bound fillies will line up over 2000 metres in Saturday’s Group One Vinery Stud Stakes, that race was not part of the plan for Lasqueti Spirit.
“She needs to run over 2400 metres to be ready for the Oaks,” he said.
“We mapped out her program to the Oaks and the BMW fitted in.
“I don’t think she’s out of place.”
The Freedmans’ Friday afternoon didn’t get much better when favourite Cool Cat was run down late by Green Sweet in the Listed Albury Cup (2000m).
