Press Statement’s rivals aren’t running scared but in the opinion of punters and bookmakers, they are running for second.
On the eve of Saturday’s Randwick Guineas, the colt was into $1.40 to give his trainer Chris Waller victory in the race he was denied eight years ago when 1.65 favourite Weekend Hussler nosed out Triple Honour.
Waller hopes the margin will be more than a nose and if his 2-1/4 length win over Le Romain in the Hobartville Stakes is anything to go by, it should be.
“He is a very laid-back colt and sometimes it’s hard to judge how he’s going in his trackwork and trials,” Waller said.
“But he brings it on game day and his work on Tuesday was very sharp.”
Le Romain’s trainer Kris Lees isn’t holding out too much hope of getting closer to the high-profile colt.
“It’s a million-dollar race, and you have to be in it to win it,” Lees said.
“You never know what might happen.
“I’m very pleased with Le Romain. He has really come of age this preparation, and deserves his chance.”
Le Romain was at $15 with the TAB on Friday with Stay With Me, the only filly in the field, next at $8.
Montaigne, who finished third in the Hobartville was on the third line at $11 with his trainer Anthony Cummings not shying away.
“I think he can win,” he said.
“He is a horse on the way up. I think he might be better when he gets to the 2000 metres of the Rosehill Guineas but I also think he can be effective on Saturday.
“He is a horse on the way up and although he is still learning his craft, he is getting better each time he goes out.”
Melbourne three-year-old Tulsa has been scratched from the Australian Guineas at Flemington to run in Sydney while Data Point will also come to Randwick having been scratched from a 1400m race.
For many of Press Statement’s rivals, the Randwick Guineas over 1600m is a stepping stone to longer races such as the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and ATC Australian Derby (2400m).
For Press Statement, whose previous two Group One wins have been at 1600m, the Randwick Guineas is his chance to cement his claims as the best three-year-old of the season.
