A pleasing early preparation and the prospect of another heavy track at Randwick on Saturday has trainer Nick Ryan considering his stable star Dice Roll as a better than even-money chance of taking on the Canterbury Stakes (1300m) first-up in a Group 1 gamble worth taking.
“He’s good fresh and he’s a superior wet-tracker,” Ryan said.
“To get and opportunity in a Group 1 on a heavy track, albeit a strong race with Zaaki and co, it could be an opportunity that has to be taken.
With three wins and two placings in eight starts in Australia, Dice Roll, the former Hong Kong galloper who has helped take Ryan’s relatively new stable to greater prominence over the last twelve months, has shown enough to Ryan to try for another Group 1 tilt so early in the preparation as he did when finishing second to Sierra Sue in the Group 1 Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) last September.
Sierra Sue returned to the top-line winners’ list on Saturday taking out the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Dice Roll is rated a $31 chance with Ladbrokes for the Canterbury Stakes with Lost And Running and Forbidden Love sharing favouritism at $4.50.
“He had a jump out on Friday on the course proper at Flemington and went super,” Ryan continued of Dice Roll.
“I was very pleased with him. I also saw that John O’Shea said that he may run Lost And Running at Flemington rather than Sydney if it is too heavy again.
“I’ll gallop him again on Tuesday – just a maintenance gallop – and we’ll see how he is, but his first-up runs are generally his best like his effort in the Rupert Clarke last spring.”
If the Randwick option doesn’t prevail, then racing back in Melbourne the following Saturday at Group 3 level over 1400 metres is the alternative.
“If not this Saturday, we’ll wait a week and run at Flemington in the Shaftsbury Avenue Stakes,” he added.
“He needs cut in the ground and that’s why he didn’t go any good in Hong Kong.
“He’s certainly 50:50 to go to Sydney. Maybe 60:40.”
