Werribee Cup winner Roman Arch, ridden by Noel Callow, will carry the area’s hopes of victory into this Saturday’s Sandown Classic. By Brad Kingsbury and Glen AtwellLYNDHURST stayer Roman Arch will carry local hopes in this Saturday’s $401,000 Group 2 Sandown Classic.
The Werribee Cup winning horse trained by Robbie Laing and set to be ridden by in-form jockey Noel Callow, will start among the favourites in the final Group-class race of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
After the withdrawal of Lee Freedman’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Our Smoking Joe, Roman Arch will likely start among the favourites in the small but talented weight-for-age field.
After Makybe Diva’s heroic and historic victory in the Melbourne Cup – the now retired mare’s third in consecutive years – the winner of the 2400-metre Sandown Classic will hold a prominent position among the sport’s most talked about horses this season.
The Sandown Classic is also a day steeped in history.
First run as the Williamstown Cup in 1888 and later renamed the Sandown Cup before becoming the Shannons Sandown Classic, the event has been run at the now defunct Williamstown Racecourse, the the Caulfield, Flemington and Moonee Valley tracks and, of course, Sandown.
It is the only event to have been contested on five Melbourne metropolitan tracks.
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 title might still end up at Cranbourne, with Louise Bonella’s tough stayer Ascana joining Roman Arch in the race, while Doug Harrison will be looking for a win with Caulfield Cup fourth placegetter Natural Blitz to be ridden by Michael Cahill.
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.
A terrific support card will be headed by the $401,000 Group 2 Sport 927 Sandown Guineas over 1600 metres for three-year-olds, and the Group 3 Sandown Stakes over 1500 metres.
Past winners of the Guineas include Light Fingers, Taj Rossi, So Called, Durbridge and last year’s victor, the John Hawkes-trained Binding.
Adding to an already exciting day of racing will be a fashions on the field competition. Entry is free and closes at 2pm on race day.
Gates will open at 9.30am with free parking in the main grass car park and entry is via the Princes Highway overpass or Sandown Road. Admission is $20 for adults, $12 concession and children under 18 accompanied by an adult are free.
