Jimmysstar and Giga Kick being entered for this Saturday’s Newmarket Handicap has increased the likelihood of Tentyris taking his place in the race, but not everyone is doing cartwheels at the news.
My Gladiola’s trainer John McArdle would happily avoid another stoush with the glamour colt, who condemned his classy filly to a trip to the runner-up stall in both the Coolmore Stud Stakes and the Black Caviar Lightning.
The Mornington trainer will now analyse the weights and see how his stable star performs in her final piece of serious work on Tuesday morning before locking in a start in the 1200-metre Group 1 at Flemington.
“We’ll see what he (Tentyris) does and if she doesn’t go to the Newmarket then she’d go to Sydney and trial up there and go to The Galaxy,” McArdle said.
“I’m 90 percent sure she will run, but there are always factors to consider. We’ll see how she gallops in the morning and see what the field comes up like.”
Craig Williams has been booked to partner My Gladiola, who was allocated 50.5kg when Newmarket Handicap weights were released late on Monday afternoon.
Tentyris was given 57kg, slightly more than many expected owing to Jimmysstar being allotted 60kg – 1kg more than the minimum requirement for the topweight at nominations stage.
Others towards the head of the weights are Giga Kick, who was given 59kg but is expected to run in the Challenge Stakes in Sydney, while Baraqiel received 57.5kg and Joliestar and War Machine 57kg each.
A positive for the My Gladiola team is that the daughter of I Am Invincible meets Tentyris 4.5kg better for her 2-1/4-length defeat in the Coolmore Stud Stakes and 5kg better for being beaten three-quarters-of-a-length in the Lightning.
“We obviously had the two kilos in the Coolmore and then a kilo-and-a-half in the Lightning because Jamie (Mott) rode her a half over,” McArdle said.
“But it’ll be more like five or six kilos in the Newmarket, so that is a factor, but he is a very, very good horse.”
Tentyris is $1.90 in all-in betting with online bookmakers on the Newmarket with My Gladiola sharing the $8 second line of betting with the Chris Waller-trained Angel Capital, who will carry 56.5kg.
The Newmarket Handicap is one of two $2 million Group 1s at Flemington this Saturday, joined by the All-Star Mile, which attracted 15 entries, headlined by Pride Of Jenni, Treasurethe Moment, Tom Kitten, Stefi Magnetica and Antino.
