By Brad Gray
Godolphin have a strong team of runners lining up at Royal Randwick on Saturday and Darren Beadman has given punters a leg-up particularly when it comes to sorting out his four two-year-olds that have accepted in the opening race.
Coorg and Florid will definitely take their place but Beadman is on weather watch with debutants Evict and Regimen who are also accepted for Kembla Grange on Saturday.
“One is a really nice colt the other a really nice filly,” Beadman said of the first starters.
“I’d like to run Evict at Randwick if I could because I think he is city class. I’ve always had a good opinion of him. He works like a nice horse, trials like a nice horse, has got the attitude of a nice horse and is good framed.
“Regimen is a quality filly as well. She has drawn out but she has drawn ordinary at Kembla too. I think she is also good enough to be city class.
“Coorg is a big rangy type and it was way too short for him the other day. If he relaxes in the run he has drawn well and has got a touch of brilliance about him.
“Florid has had three trials this time in and is ready to go first-up. He is an on-speed runner and he’ll like the sting out of the ground.”
Ghostly couldn’t have been more impressive at Canterbury last start despite finding himself in the uncustomary position of leading. With good speed engaged in the Hyland Eofy Sale Handicap (1200m), Beadman expects him to revert back to finding cover.
“There were only six runners in the field and that’s not really his style of racing. He got there by default and it was a smart ride by Brenton (Avdulla). We saw what brilliance he has got though,” Beadman said.
“He trialled the other day and trialled impressively. Has come through it really well.”
In that Warwick Farm trial he breezed past Godolphin’s Winter Dash (1200m) hope Tessera who will be looking to bounce back from his Eagle Farm failure.
“I trialled him the other day with Ghostly and he gave him a bit of a cold when he went past him which stamps Ghostly in good stead for his race but Tessera’s run at the Gold Coast was a cracker,” Beadman said.
“For a horse that handles wet ground he didn’t get through it at Eagle Farm so you have just got to put a line through the run.”
Old North rounds out the royal blue team with the enigmatic four-year-old turning his form around last start to run on into third.
“It was a vast improvement. In his second-up run he didn’t get into the right rhythm and didn’t hit the line. If he runs up to his last start he’ll certainly acquit himself really well again.”
Meanwhile, Hartnell did his first piece of fast work on Monday ahead of a spring campaign in which he’ll dodge the mighty mare Winx.
“He is coming along really well and looks fabulous. He’ll kick off in late July in a trial,” Beadman said.
“He lets you know he is alive and he hasn’t change. He has got that buzz about him.
“Winx is one out of the box. We could have had two Group Ones beside his name. She’s the best horse I’ve seen. Kingston Town was the best horse but I think she is better than him.”
Check out the fields, form and replays for Randwick on Saturday