One thing in Arran Bay’s favour at Sandown will be the absence of stablemate Regal Azmon.
Both were entered for the Sportsbet Race Replays Handicap on Saturday, a benchmark 100 race, but trainer Phillip Stokes has elected to only start Arran Bay.
Regal Azmon is Brisbane bound on Saturday week to run in the Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup (1800m) at Eagle Farm.
Arran Bay has finished second to his stablemate on two occasions.
Conceding 8.5kg to Regal Azmon over 1600m on April 26, Arran Bay was beaten a short-half-head before they again met two weeks later.
With a weight turnaround on Regal Azmon of 8kg, Arran Bay was expected to beat home his stablemate but was instead beaten three-quarters-of-a-length in the Group 3 Bart Cummings (1600m) at Morphettville.
That surprised Stokes, and punters alike, as Regal Azmon drifted from $8.50 to $15 in the market on race day.
Arran Bay returned to Stokes’ Pakenham stable in good order and galloped on Saturday with another on Tuesday morning to have him right for Saturday’s contest in which he will be ridden by Paul Gatt.
“Regal Azmon has got it all over him at the moment, but Regal Azmon, won’t be there, so hopefully he gets his chance,” Stokes said.
“He travelled back well from Adelaide and he’s knocking on the door.
“The 1800 metres won’t be a problem as he’s been to 2000 metres before and has performed well while his work has been good since he came home, so he’ll go to the races very fit and well.”
Arran Bay has had four runs for the preparation.
His first-up assignment was a non-event on a track that suited leaders at Moonee Valley ahead of going on to run third in the Listed Golden Mile at Bendigo last month before his last two Adelaide appearances.
With some rain forecast for Sandown, Stokes said any give in the track won’t pose a problem for Arran Bay, while he just wants to see the gelding get back into winning form before looking ahead to what the remainder of the campaign may look like.
“I think a bit of cut out of the ground will help him,” Stokes said.
“I think he’s going well, but he just hasn’t won this prep, and I’d like to get another win with him.
“He’s a hard horse to place with his rating. It’s getting up there, so we’ll take it run by run.”
