Gallopin Towards The Spring Cups

The Age

Tuesday January 1, 2008

Andrew Eddy

THE most obvious sign that trainer Danny O'Brien rates Bagot Handicap favourite Gallopin a spring cups horse came last Friday at acceptances for today's Flemington meeting.

O'Brien had entered the former Kiwi galloper for both the Bagot (2500 metres) and 2000-metre Byron Moore Handicap, but despite Gallopin being allocated only 56.5 kilograms for the shorter race over a trip at which he is unbeaten in two starts, he persisted with the tougher option of the Bagot.

O'Brien said yesterday it was probably a bit unusual "that he'd get 56.5 (kilograms) in the open handicap and 58 kilograms in a listed race over a trip that he's never been to".

"But the handicapper has to weight them on the strength of the nominations. He's had a great preparation and I'm really pleased with him going into this race, where we'll find out so much more about him," O'Brien said. "We'll see if he's a genuine mile-and-a-half (2400 metres) horse with a view to the spring."

The Bagot Handicap is a listed event worth $90,000 to the winner, with the Byron Moore winner earning $65,000. The Bagot also promotes the winner into next spring's Melbourne Cup elimination order and offers O'Brien an ideal platform to assess whether the four-year-old has the class to be aimed that way.

"He's obviously a smart horse and this is a very good test for him. If he comes through it as we hope, we'll put him away and give the spring a good look. He's had a pretty long prep and it's a perfect time to give him a rest," O'Brien said.

O'Brien said he was hopeful the predicted cool change would come before the Bagot at 3.40pm. "The hot weather does flatten them a bit so we'll be looking for that change," he said.

Gallopin, who had his first two starts in New Zealand before joining O'Brien's stable last winter, has won six of his eight starts for his new trainer and ran close seconds at his other two outings. He has won more than $200,000 in stakes from 11 runs.

The Bagot was reduced from a group 3 race to listed status in 1991 and although only two winners in that period have competed in the Melbourne Cup later that year (Bold Bard, 16th in 2003, and Top Rating, ninth in 1994), today's race boasts quite a line-up of emerging four-year-old stayers.

Gallopin's main danger is Redondo Beach, whose mother Palos Verdes not only produced the Cox Plate winner El Segundo, but won the Bagot herself at her final race start 10 years ago.

While much of her staying prowess (she also won a Hobart Cup, Mornington Cup and Manion Cup in Sydney) was not passed on to the more brilliant El Segundo, his half-brother by Elnadim has thrown more to the dam.

But Redondo Beach, who won over the Bagot course two weeks ago, is still learning, says trainer Mike Moroney. "He's promising but he still has to learn to settle in his races," Moroney said. "Last start he pulled very hard during the run and was still too good but he'll have to settle better in this race."

After the Bagot, Moroney is toying with the idea of taking Redondo Beach south for the $400,000 Hobart Cup on February 11 and will also consider the $300,000 Launceston Cup on February 27 before spelling the four-year-old for a tilt at the spring.

Another emerging four-year-old who is certain to have support today is the Michael Kent-trained Banana Man, who is coming off his first city win in a restricted race at Sandown over 2100 metres.

Jockey Darren Gauci has mounts in both of today's feature events - the Bagot (Monte Cassino) and $200,000 Standish Handicap (Dr Nipandtuck) - and will be hoping for some success after being suspended at the conclusion of an adjourned inquiry.

Gauci was suspended from midnight tomorrow night until the Moonee Valley night meeting on January 11 after a careless riding charge was proven. Stewards found Gauci shifted ground on Rufus River resulting in Montcalm and Admiral's Lady being hampered in the Morse Code Handicap at Sandown on December 19.

© 2008 The Age

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