Jockey Michael Cahill parades Natural Blitz before its fourthplaced run in the 2005 Caulfield Cup. The Cranbournetrained horse will be among the top chances in this Saturday’s Sandown Classic. Picture: Stewart Chambers.By Brad Kingsbury
CRANBOURNE trainers Doug Harrison, Robbie Laing and Louise Bonella will be among the top contenders for this Saturday’s $401,000 Group 2 Sandown Classic to be run on the Sandown Hillside track.
The Sandown Classic is the final Group-class race of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and will be contested by a talented weight-for-age field.
Last year’s winner, Cranbourne based Count Ricardo, will miss the chance to defend his crown after suffering a setback during the early stages of the spring, but the Classic might still end up at Cranbourne.
Harrison will be looking for a win with Caulfield |Cup fourth placegetter |Natural Blitz to be ridden |by Michael Cahill |while Laing will start Werribee Cup winner Roman Arch and Bonella brings her honest stayer Ascana to the event.
The Cranbourne contingent will meet stiff opposition from horses including |David Hayes pair Hugs Dancer and Kindjhal, Tom Hughes’ Grey Song and the Lee Freedman-trained mare Uprize.
Berwick jockey Noel Callow will likely ride Roman Arch after Freedman’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes |winner Our Smoking Joe, which he rode at Flemington on the weekend, was a non-acceptor for the Sandown feature race.
A terrific support |card will be headed by |the $401,000 Group 2 |Sport 927 Sandown Guineas (1600 metres) for three-year-olds and the Group 3 Sandown Stakes over 1500 metres.
Gates will open at 9.30am with admission at $20 for adults, $12 concession |and children under 18 accompanied by an adult are free.
