Mick Price trained son of Galileo ‘Spacecraft’ will have his first run back at Sandown tomorrow since contesting the Group 1 Toorak Handicap in October where he finished a disappointing 8th after jumping as the second favourite.
Spacecraft, a 5 time winner including a Listed race win in the Sportingbet Penny Edition Stakes at Morphettville racecourse, will be hoping to start his Autumn campaign with a win against a field that he looks a class above.
The $85,000 purchase at the 2008 Conrad Jupiters Yearling Sale is coming off a great Spring where he was able to win 3 straight before jumping into a Group 1 where he could be seen to have been unlucky after jockey Damien Oliver had no other choice but to ride the 4YO against his usual patten and take him forward after drawing barrier 13.
Tomorrow he has drawn barrier 3 which will allow him to sit behind the leaders and produce his impressive turn of foot when entering the straight, in a race that on paper doesn’t look to be a lot of speed, it is likely the well supported Wealthy Lad will take up the running with outsider Minnesota Shark.
Rockpecker, the best supported runner of the race is likely to go back from his wide barrier draw and will be hoping for a good tempo to allow him to come around the field on the turn. But jockey Craig Williams has the option of taking the 7YO forward depending on the race as the son of US sire Made of Gold has shown he can win from the front evident in his sole Listed win in the 2009 Food & Wine Plate beating Whobegotyou.
Full race odds and fluctuations:
| BETFAIR HCP 1300m | Closes Sat 29 Jan 2011 |
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|||||||||||
| No. | Runner (Barrier) | Opening | Flucs | Win | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SPACECRAFT (3) | 2.60 | 2.60 | 2.70 | 2.80 | 2.90 | 3.00 | ||||
| 2 | ROCKPECKER (7) | 8.00 | 8.00 | 6.50 | 5.00 | 4.80 | |||||
| 3 | COMMANDING HOPE (1) | 10.00 | 10.00 | 11.00 | 12.00 | ||||||
| 4 | BARWON EXPRESS (5) | 6.50 | 6.50 | 7.00 | 6.50 | ||||||
| 5 | HANKS (8) | 7.00 | 7.00 | 7.50 | 8.00 | 9.00 | |||||
| 6 | WEALTHY LAD (2) | 5.50 | 5.50 | 5.00 | 5.50 | ||||||
| 7 | TRANSLATION (4) | 8.50 | 8.50 | 9.00 | 8.50 | 9.00 | |||||
| 8 | TRUE TALES (9) | 21.00 | 21.00 | 23.00 | 26.00 | ||||||
| 9 | MINNESOTA SHARK (6) | 17.00 | 21.00 | 26.00 | 23.00 | 26.00 | 31.00 | ||||
Written by Morgan Payne
