An awkward barrier looks the only burden for Studley Park, a standout in the Betfair Handicap for Restricted 78 over 1500m at Sandown-Lakeside today.
The Robert Hickmott trained and Team Williams owned five-year-old does look the one they all have to beat in the fifth race on the card.
Team Williams have been having multiple numbers in races lately and there is certainly no chance for a breather when that happens but here they have just one and it is a promising type too in Studley Park.
The outside gate bar one and 58.5kg should not be enough to halt this impressive and lightly tried gelding from winning his fourth start from five outings.
He does perform super early on in a campaign and has a touch of zoom late in his races, which for a son of Zabeel is always a good thing once the inevitable step up to a middle distance is taken.
It was hard not to like his fresh up win here at the Lakeside course in a Restricted 89 over 1400m, also sponsored by Betfair, when he dispatched his rivals with contempt under 53kg and enjoyed the slow footing.
I am not sure rock hard ground will help Studley Park to continue on his swaggering ways, so any cushion is greatly appreciate by the late maturing galloper.
He is down in class here and up 5.5kg, which for most would be a tough ask but not this already proven second up winner that is also two-for-two on the Lakeside track at Sandown.
Nick Hall takes over from Steven King last start and has won on him before, with a rather contemptuous debut win in January this year at Ballarat.
The ratings keep ascending for Studley Park and this just looks another notch on his belt towards mixing it up in the bigger leagues.
Other chances today include the Peter Moody pair of Jayconi and Garozzo, with the former better drawn and importantly first choice rider Luke Nolen goes with it.
Jayconi has early speed and is ready for the 1500m third up, so expect him to be in or near the lead throughout and giving them all something to get past in the run home.
Garozzo went okay fresh up then was unlucky last start at the Hillside track here in a Restricted 82 over 1400m from a bad barrier, so with a 2kg claim expect him to be have some sly support here.
He has already won against Restricted 78 over 1412m under 56kg, albeit at Seymour, and at 55.5kg today does look a Moody must include for your multiples.
One other name worth a mention is the now gelded former New Zealand galloper Sierra Nevada, which is to be ridden by Steve Arnold.
He is by the boom sire High Chaparral, with stamina his greatest asset but as we all know stayers go good fresh up.
Sierra Nevada will find the line and is weighted as high as he is here because of his record, with a G3 placing two starts back in the Avondale Guineas (2100m), which was raced at Ellerslie this year.
His last start saw the lightly tried galloper tackle the G1 NZ Derby (2400m) and from a wide draw finished a respectable fifth to Jimmy Choux, on what as an absolute bog track.
Note this name down in the lesser stamina races over the spring carnival, as the upside is all to come for the four-year-old.
Enjoy the race.
