The wetter the better. Words to live by for both Fell Swoop and Noble Boy as they travel up the Hume Highway.
Only problem for Fell Swoop is it also works for the world's best sprinters as well.
Canberra trainer Matt Dale says Fell Swoop will get the perfect conditions for his fourth TJ Smith Stakes. The only problem is they suit the world's best sprinters as well.Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong
Matthew Dale's charge will jump in his fourth consecutive TJ Smith Stakes (1200 metres), the $2.5 million feature sprint at Randwick on Saturday, while Todd Blowes' Noble Boy is the $2.50 favourite for the Country Championships Final (1400m).
Fell Swoop's a $71 outsider for a "ripping" TJ, where Dale said you could mount a case for almost every runner.
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He's hoping for a top-five finish from his stable star, who has returned to his best this year.
Redzel ($8.50) and former Black Opal winner Trapeze Artist ($4.20 favourite) headline a star-studded field of Australia's, and the world's, best sprinters.
Dale said Fell Swoop has recovered well from losing a front shoe last outing, when he battled on for fifth in the group 1 William Reid (1200m).
He was less than two lengths behind winner Sunlight, who's an $8.50 chance in the TJ Smith.
Top jockey James McDonald will ride the seven-year-old gelding from barrier one.
Fell Swoop likes the sting out of the track, having won three with four placings in his 10 starts on soft or heavy going.
Randwick was rated as soft on Friday.
"He gets his condition that he likes in the TJ, which is the soft track and the 1200m at Randwick," Dale said.
"In saying that, the conditions that he likes they're also the conditions that a lot of the other runners like and they do just happen to be the best sprinters in Australia.
"It's a ripping edition of the TJ and we're proud to have him back four years in a row … a feat in itself.
"Our expectations realistically are if he can run in the top five he's run out of his skin."
Noble Boy also likes it wet under foot – Blowes' four-year-old gelding has won both of his runs on wet tracks.
Bookies have the Country Champs as a two-horse race, with La Scopa ($4) the only other single-figure chance, discounting the emergencies.
Blowes said the potential Randwick mud was right up Noble Boys' alley.
"Wetter the better. Whatever track they toss up here tomorrow will be fine for him [on Saturday]," he said.
Noble Boy is the favourite for the Country Championships Final.Credit:AAP Image/Simon Bullard
"He just didn't appreciate the good3 they had there at Goulburn [for the qualifier], it was just way too hard for him."
The wetter the better. Words to live by for both Fell Swoop and Noble Boy as they travel up the Hume Highway.
Only problem for Fell Swoop is it also works for the world's best sprinters as well.
Canberra trainer Matt Dale says Fell Swoop will get the perfect conditions for his fourth TJ Smith Stakes. The only problem is they suit the world's best sprinters as well.Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong
Matthew Dale's charge will jump in his fourth consecutive TJ Smith Stakes (1200 metres), the $2.5 million feature sprint at Randwick on Saturday, while Todd Blowes' Noble Boy is the $2.50 favourite for the Country Championships Final (1400m).
Fell Swoop's a $71 outsider for a "ripping" TJ, where Dale said you could mount a case for almost every runner.
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He's hoping for a top-five finish from his stable star, who has returned to his best this year.
Redzel ($8.50) and former Black Opal winner Trapeze Artist ($4.20 favourite) headline a star-studded field of Australia's, and the world's, best sprinters.
Dale said Fell Swoop has recovered well from losing a front shoe last outing, when he battled on for fifth in the group 1 William Reid (1200m).
He was less than two lengths behind winner Sunlight, who's an $8.50 chance in the TJ Smith.
Top jockey James McDonald will ride the seven-year-old gelding from barrier one.
Fell Swoop likes the sting out of the track, having won three with four placings in his 10 starts on soft or heavy going.
Randwick was rated as soft on Friday.
"He gets his condition that he likes in the TJ, which is the soft track and the 1200m at Randwick," Dale said.
"In saying that, the conditions that he likes they're also the conditions that a lot of the other runners like and they do just happen to be the best sprinters in Australia.
"It's a ripping edition of the TJ and we're proud to have him back four years in a row … a feat in itself.
"Our expectations realistically are if he can run in the top five he's run out of his skin."
Noble Boy also likes it wet under foot – Blowes' four-year-old gelding has won both of his runs on wet tracks.
Bookies have the Country Champs as a two-horse race, with La Scopa ($4) the only other single-figure chance, discounting the emergencies.
Blowes said the potential Randwick mud was right up Noble Boys' alley.
"Wetter the better. Whatever track they toss up here tomorrow will be fine for him [on Saturday]," he said.
Noble Boy is the favourite for the Country Championships Final.Credit:AAP Image/Simon Bullard
"He just didn't appreciate the good3 they had there at Goulburn [for the qualifier], it was just way too hard for him."
