Free newsletter sign up

Get our latest horse racing news, reviews, exclusives and more direct to your email inbox.
Sign up here

PP Blog

Read our Horse Racing Blog, keeping you up to date with all the latest horse race betting info & horse racing systems.

PP TV

Watch the TVN coverage of today's horse racing and view video replays through BigPond.

PP Radio

Listen to the day's racing through Sky Racing Radio. Plus racing news, previews and horse racing tips.

Metal Bender, Theseo to run quinella

Friday 3 September 2010
By Mathew Toogood

Hugh Bowman expects his mount Metal Bender and middle distance star Theseo to justify their positions at the top of Chelmsford Stakes betting by dominating the weight-for-age race at Randwick on Saturday.

"I think those two horses standout to me and probably should to everyone else," Bowman, who will be reunited with Metal Bender, said.

Metal Bender, who left Theseo among the unplaced brigade in the Warwick Stakes a fortnight ago, is a $2.50 favourite to add the Group Two Chelmsford to his outstanding record.

Theseo, the 2008 Epsom Handicap winner over Saturday's course, is rated the best chance of beating Metal Bender as a $3.40 second pick.

"Metal Bender is racing really well and I expect Theseo to improve from his first-up run," Bowman said.

"(Theseo's) record at the Randwick mile is excellent but my horse is in really good form so it's going to be a good race.

Bowman will ride Metal Bender in a race for the first time since winning the Group Two Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast earlier this year.

Metal Bender has since won the Group One Doomben Cup (2020m) and then returned with an outstanding first-up win in the Group Two Warwick Stakes (1400m) ahead of stablemates Triple Honour and the Bowman-ridden Danleigh.

Theseo led in the Warwick Stakes before weakening in the final 100 metres to finish fifth.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained warhorse has a much more formidable second-up record with wins in the Chipping Norton Stakes and St George Stakes in his past two second-up attempts.

Bowman had the option to ride Danleigh at Flemington but elected to remain at home to renew his association with Metal Bender.

Metal Bender is a Group One winner over the Randwick mile having won the Randwick Guineas as a three-year-old.

While the jockey believes front-runner Theseo is his main danger in the Chelmsford, he said he would ride his own race on Metal Bender rather than be worried by what Nash Rawiller is doing on Theseo.

"I don't expect Nash to be breaking any records early so that will probably mean that I'm closer to him, but I'll ride my race to suit my horse," Bowman said.

Bowman has a solid book of rides in other feature Randwick races including Centennial Park in the Tramway Handicap, Elimbari (Furious Stakes) and New Zealander Lion Tamer (Ming Dynasty Quality).

He is expecting Centennial Park to be competitive in the Group Three Tramway (1400m).

"He was excellent first-up and he'll run a good race," Bowman said.

"I think he's better on top of the ground so I just hope it doesn't chop up too much."