The Stephen Brown stable look to be holding all the aces in today's Carlton Mid Darwin Cup with a pair of lightly raced sons of Zabeel, Bolton and Sheahan, set to fight out the finish in the $185,000 contest.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The pair were formerly stablemates at Lloyd Williams' Macedon Lodge, under the care of trainer Robert Hickmott, until current owners picked up the promising Bolton under Team Williams' “every horse is for sale” policy.
A short campaign in Darwin was followed by a successful summer back down in Victoria which culminated in listed success at Caulfield, taking out the Victoria Cup over today's trip of 2000m, with promising types Royal Mail and Sea Galleon among the beaten brigade.
He has since headed back north, with the Darwin Cup as his aim, and here he has been reunited with Sheahan another promising pick up from Mt Macedon.
Things have certainly gone to plan since with the pair coming along slowly over shorter trips before both improving sharply for the step up to the mile in latest outings.
Last start in the key lead up to today, the Sky Racing Metric Mile, they established a clear margin on the remainder of the field, fighting out the finish with Sheahan coming out on top.
The weights go considerably in favour of Bolton today, however, and while it should pose no concern to Sheahan the step up to 2000m certainly suits Bolton who races over the trip for the first time since that Victoria Cup success and he can turn the tables.
Sheahan is yet to race beyond 1800m with the result that day inconclusive, his saddle slipped, and he is certainly bred to cope with today's longer journey being by Zabeel and out of a mare who was a stakes winner at 2000m.
He really impressed hitting the line last start and can make it a Brown quinella again today.
Glare has plenty to find on form to challenge that pair but he is going the right way about it having won two of three since joining this yard and coming to Darwin.
He had plenty to spare winning over 1900m here last time out, leading from start to finish in doing so.
He is expected to lead again today and if getting the race run to suit, which on paper appears highly possible, he can give the Brown pair plenty to catch.
Hawks Bay lines up in his fourth Darwin Cup today having run second in the 2009 and 2010 renewals before breaking through for a well deserved win last season.
He faces a tough task at the weights but he is racing in good form, having won two of three this Darwin campaign, and can never be overlooked up here.
I Am Magic rates to measure up on his Prime Ministers Cup run two back but he was below that form over 1900m last start and now looks a big query at today's trip.
Enjoy the race.
