The $200,000 Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic has attracted a highly competitive field of two-year-olds with no less than four of the nine strong field going into the race unbeaten and another two runners being last start winners.
The Tony Gollan trained Boomelli is one of those last start winners, and she is also the most experienced runner in the lineup having had five starts for a return of three wins, one runner-up finish and a fourth placing. That mix of experience and achievement, franked by her win in the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes in testing heavy going over 1200, has been enough to see the daughter of Spirit Of Boom, a leading sire who so sadly passed away earlier this week, at the top of the betting boards, currently at $3.70.
Ben Thompson, who has partnered Boomelli in all but one of her runs, will be in the saddle.
The next three runners in the betting … St Gotthard ($3.90), Berzelius ($4.40) and Silken Salute ($5.50) would all appear to have every chance.
The Chris Waller trained St Gotthard has been very much a work in progress. Over the last five months the Snitzel colt has had no less than three jump-outs and four trials … but has only tasted race action once.
Importantly though, he did claim a debut victory in that run, winning over 1200m as the well fancied $1.75 favourite and it is logical to expect St Gotthard to improve further with the benefit of that run. James McDonald rides.
The Michael Frredman trained Berzelius was a clearcut winner of his only start to date when striking immediately over 1110m at Doomben.
He was easy to back at that occasion … he jumped at a starting price of $11 … but the son of Extreme Choice is right in the betting mix this time around with Tommy Berry, who landed $1 million The Archer at Rockhampton on Tuesday, taking the ride.
Like St Gotthard and Berzelius, the Paul Shailer trained, two-time winner Silken Salute has yet to taste defeat. It is not only his results, but the manner in which Silken Salute has gone about his business that has caught the eye. While both wins were achieved by narrow margins, they nevertheless came with a touch of authority.
He has more to do here but, to date, he has done everything asked of him. Ryan Maloney takes over the reins from Andrew Mallyon, who was on board for the first two wins.
Duke Of Albemarle ($9) is another debut winner looking to push the envelope while Written Acclaim ($61) is a last start winner trying to do the same.
Unloading ($9.50), another son of Spirit Of Boom, is also not out of it after posting a win and a third place in his first two starts.
That leaves Macedon Mission ($26) and Win Star ($126), the only two runners in the lineup who don’t have a race win behind their names.
Macedon Mission did finish close up enough when third on debut though in his only start to date … and Win Star (who has two runs) did race in feature race company last time when unplaced behind the very highly rated The Next episode on heavy going in the Listed Dalrello Stakes.
James McDonald, who rides St Gotthard, will be bidding for a third successive win in the race having saluted aboard the Chris Waller trained Althoff in 2024 before partnering the Peter Snowden trained Beadman to that spectacular 8.30 length romp on a very heavy track in 2025.
Beadman is back at the Gold Coast this year … he will run in the $500 000 Group 2 Hollindale Stakes on Saturday.
