By Tony Megahey
The long and productive association of Gerry Harvey and trainer Stephen Jones offers another impeccably bred prospect for the Scone TAB meeting on Tuesday, while Hunter great Paul Perry is primed with a full book and last start winners.
Palisades ($3.60 on TAB), a striking black mare by So You Think from a Danehill (USA) winning dam Secover, spaced her rivals in fast time in a Scone 1300m maiden two weeks ago and is in focus as second favourite, progressing to the Newgate Class I, 1400m.
She carries 57kg, a kilo over for Rory Hutchings who also rides promising Louisiana Iris ($10) - bred by the business mogul and fancied at double figure odds in the follow up maiden off successive placings.
“Palisades was originally with Ron Quinton in Sydney, highly strung, nervy filly, slow to mature; it took a took a while for the penny to drop,” Jones explained.
“She’s just reacted to the different environment up here, less noise, more laid back but she’s still got some tricks, we have to put her with a pony.
“But her last win was impressive, lovely turn of foot, suggesting better races.
“Gerry was really happy when she won because off that breeding, she’s a valuable stud proposition.
“But the way she won, that might be a way off - she’s come on and she’ll be hard to beat.”
And Jones was no less enthusiastic about the chances of Louisiana Iris.
“A box walker to start but more settled and she probably should have won last start, sprung a shoe and got off balance. She’s got the natural speed to offset a wide gate.
“Big field but she’ll break through sooner rather than later.”
Meanwhile, Perry of Choisir fame is represented in all seven races, his best being dominant last start Scone maiden winner, Captain Wise ($12) in the second race.
He also has Pippin ($9.50) a Tamworth winner opposing Palisades in the third event. At present Scone is a rated a Good 4 in fine weather.
View the final fields with full form & race replays for Scone here