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By Ray Hickson

Dry track or not, jockey Jay Ford says talented galloper Stockman is at the top of his game for Sunday’s Group 3 $160,000 Schweppes Summer Cup (2000m).

Jockey Jay Ford. (Pic: Steve Hart).

And with any drop of rain that falls up to the running of the Boxing Day feature at Royal Randwick his confidence in the Joe Pride-trained gelding will only increase.

It’s well documented that Stockman is a superior wet tracker but he’s shown he is more than capable on top of the ground evidenced by his fourth placing in the Group 2 Villiers (1600m) two weeks ago.

“He’s going great guns, each and every one of his runs this prep have been super and I expect to get the same from him,’’ Ford said.

“We may not get the wet track he thrives on and excels on but the way he’s going I’m not seeing that as too much of a negative.

“Joe has him in a good place, he feels a bit sharper this preparation and he finds himself in a really nice race stepping up to 2000m.”

Stockman, $3.80 favourite with TAB on Thursday with the track rated soft 6, charged home from near last in the Villiers running 34.66 for his last 600m (Punter’s Intelligence) after drawing wide.

Ford said while he does feel sharper he’s simply not a specialist miler and that became apparent in the run last start.

“I always had Brutality’s back. From the 600m in, because he’s a horse that gets over a trip, he couldn’t keep Brutality’s back early in the straight and was left a bit one paced,’’ he said.

“But he went through his gears nicely the last 300m.

“I just know the horse is in a good frame of mind, he’s going great guns, and it’s a good race for him.

“It’d be great if we got rain and we pop up with a heavy track but that would just make me more confident.”

A little more rain could also raise Ford’s confidence about in-form mare Snippy Fox in the Chandon Garden Spritz Handicap (1400m) though she showed in winning last start she’s capable on top of the ground.

The challenge ahead of the five-year-old is to carry an extra 6kg on her December 11 win on an improving soft 5 surface.

“Joe gave her a good grounding to start the preparation, she won well at Canterbury on a heavy track and the other day when the track dried out as much as it did my confidence was dented,’’ Ford said.

“But Snippy Fox was terrific in winning. She’s rising sharply in weight but she’s one of those mares that gives you 110 per cent every time she steps out.”

It’s been said a number of times that it’s not normal practice for Joe Pride to race a two-year-old before Christmas but that’s the case with Lasting Promise in the Drinkwise Plate (1100m).

Pride has produced a Golden Slipper prospect already this year with Golden Gift runner-up Shalatin proving to be quite precocious and Ford said Lasting Promise has his share of ability based on his trials.

“Joe wouldn’t send one to the races as a two-year-old unless he thought it was ready,’’ he said.

“His trials have improved each time he’s stepped out.

“I’d like to think that he can make further improvement, he’s drawn a good gate, he’s naturally got good ability but is still learning his craft.

Stockman runs fourth at Randwick on December 11

“He’ll show some ability but whatever he does I’d look for him to improve off that back of it.”

And Ford put the consistent Super Effort through his paces on Wednesday morning as the Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou-trained galloper resumes in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap (1200m).

Super Effort has won two of his three first-up attempts and while Ford said he will improve with the run he is expecting the gelding to be in the finish somewhere.

“He’s ticking along nicely and seems like he’s come back well,’’ he said.

“Sunday is a starting point and he probably appreciates that little bit further but he goes well fresh.

“He’s in a nice race for him, he’ll be the one closing off and if they overdo it up front he might be able to get over the top of them.”

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday's Randwick meeting