The Mat Ellerton and Simon Zahra stable has questioned whether Enjin Number Nine is mentally mature enough to cope with the pressure of a race such as the Group One Australian Guineas.
The gelding, by 2004 Japan Cup winner Zenno Rob Roy, has won three of his five starts and jumped sharply in grade from a first-up Geelong Class One Hcp (1212m) win to score easily in the Listed Manfred Stakes (1300m) at Sandown from Guineas rival Bullbars.
However he disappointed jockey Glen Boss slightly when finishing fourth as favourite to Bullbars in the Group Three CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on February 19.
As a result, Boss has chosen to ride the Danny O’Brien-trained filly Shamrocker with Damien Oliver picking up the ride on Enjin Number Nine.
“It was a really good run in the Hayes. Glen was forced to the fence and had to go with the frantic pace, but the main thing is he has come through the race really well,” Zahra said.
“My only worry with him is if he’s mentally there yet and seasoned enough to win a race like this.”
Enjin Number Nine will race in a nose-roll at Flemington on Saturday and Zahra explained why.
“He climbs in his action. He does that in his work and he’s done it most of his life,” he said.
“We’re trying to get his head down so he can extend in his action and it will give him something else to concentrate on as well. It seems to have worked in his trackwork.
“You just can’t hustle and bustle him. You have to let him get into his routine and find his action and if he’s travelling into the straight he can let down with that good turn of foot.”
Since the Guineas was first run in 1986, no horse has won the race from outside barrier nine and Enjin Number Nine has drawn gate seven and will jump from six in the capacity field of 16 if the four emergencies are scratched.
O’Brien was happy enough with the run of Shamrocker when she resumed with a fourth to the unbeaten Southern Speed in the Group Three The Vanity (1400m) at Flemington on February 19, giving the winner 2.5kg.
“She was not really suited first-up but she certainly strips fitter for the run,” he said.
“A mile (1600m) second-up is ideal.
“Obviously it is a wide-open sort of Guineas and she is on her way to the Oaks in Sydney but she is certainly well enough to be running a good race on Saturday.
“You have got to be there to be a chance.
“She has always been competitive, particularly on big tracks like Flemington, and at the top level she is going to be better suited over 2000 metres and 2400 metres.”
The winner of last year’s Group Two VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington, Shamrocker competed against the best fillies last spring finishing third in the Group Two Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) and second to Brazilian Pulse in the VRC Oaks (2500m).
Star West Australian colt Playing God has firmed from $7 to $5 favourite with TAB Sportsbet since he drew beautifully in barrier three on Wednesday.
He shades top New Zealand filly We Can Say It Now, a firmer from $7 to $6, late entry Under The Eiffel ($9), Bullbars ($9.50) with Southern Speed at $10 and Enjin Number Nine at $11.
Shamrocker is at $41.
AAP TURF
