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Canterbury could provide good form guide

Tuesday 9 March 2010
By Mandy Cottell

The midweek meeting at Canterbury is shaping as an important autumn carnival stepping stone with several emerging talents set to sport silks.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Once Were Wild will continue her push towards the Group One AJC Australian Oaks when she chases her fifth win from six starts in the opening race.

Outstanding talent Griffon, unbeaten in two starts this campaign, will line up for Bart Cummings in the second event after being scratched on Saturday with a mild respiratory problem.

Griffon worked over 1000 metres at Randwick on Monday and was given a clearance by the stable veterinarian.

He will be examined on course on Wednesday by a Racing NSW vet prior to racing.

Also looking to stake his carnival claims will be untapped three-year-old Neeson in the Golden Slipper Festival On Sale Hcp (1250m).

The Joe Pride-trained gelding is among nominations for Saturday's Listed Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick but Pride favours running him on Wednesday to help him return to the winner's circle.

"I'm leaning towards running him midweek and getting that under his belt," Pride said.

"He didn't go as well as I thought first-up but he did that last preparation as well.

"He didn't get to the front the other day and he needs to lead this horse."

Neeson missed a place for the first time since joining the Pride stable from Queensland when he finished fourth to the in-form Winter King first-up last month.

He lumped topweight of 59kg that day and drops to 53.5kg on Wednesday with Blake Shinn taking over from the suspended Corey Brown.

Neeson has been nominated for the Doncaster Mile and while Pride concedes that race might be a bridge too far, he is optimistic the gelding will measure up to better company.

"I think he will measure up to stakes level but maybe not that (Doncaster) level," Pride said.

"We kept it in mind just in case he came back freakishly well."

Neeson will be Pride's only runner at Canterbury and will be one of just three mounts for Shinn.

The 2008 Melbourne Cup-winning jockey will also partner Lagerphone for John O'Shea in the sixth event and lightly-raced filly Flying Success for Gai Waterhouse in the last race.

Flying Success earned a trip to town after winning her only start at Gosford by 3-1/2 lengths.

Lagerphone is resuming and has tuned up for her return with two barrier trials.

The filly showed promise as a late two-year-old finishing third to Kiss Me Katy in the Listed Sir Douglas Wadley (1200m) at Eagle Farm in June.

She was successful first-up over 1100 metres at Canterbury last preparation when she drew the outside barrier in a field of 10 and the recipe is ripe for a repeat dose.

Lagerphone will resume over the same distance on Wednesday and has again drawn widest in the 10-horse field.