Luck hasn’t favoured Swiftfalcon so far this autumn but connections are hoping he can finally break through for a deserved win in the Frank Packer Plate at Randwick.
The three-year-old has been competitive against the cream of his age group, placing behind Broadsiding in both the Hobartville Stakes (1400m) and Rosehill Guineas (2000m), Linebacker in the Randwick Guineas (1600m) and Evaporate in the Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) last start.
Each time, he has settled back in the field and rattled home and regular rider Tyler Schiller is hoping Swiftfalcon gets his day in the sun on Saturday.
“He has been in some pretty elite company,” Schiller said.
“The horse that beat him last start (Evaporate) is no slouch, that horse only got beaten under two lengths by Mr Brightside, so it’s not like he has been getting beaten by horses that are inferior to him. They have just been really nice horses on the up and Broadsiding has shown he’s the best three-year-old in the land.”
Swiftfalcon will have nine rivals in the Frank Packer Plate (2000m), including ATC Australian Derby runner-up Firm Agreement.
While he has been mixing his distances, Schiller is confident the Hawkes Racing gelding will relish the return to 2000 metres after dropping back to a mile last start.
“He definitely runs 2000. He was beaten under a length in the Rosehill Guineas which, up against Broadsiding and Aeliana, was a very hard task, especially the way he had to do it making two runs,” he said.
“I think on the weekend we will see a different 2000 metre horse because he won’t have to make two runs. He will be strong at the finish.”
Swiftfalcon is a solid even-money favourite to end his sequence of minor placings and post his first win since taking out the Listed Dulcify Quality (1600m) in the spring.
