A Busy Easter Saturday

It's a busy Easter Saturday for Ballymore Stables with five runners highlighted by runners in three stakes races including the exciting three-year-old Plymouth who takes his place in the Gr.3 Frank Packer Plate at Randwick.

At his last three starts racing well in Gr.1 company - not always with the best of luck - Plymouth is suited back to 2000m after contesting the ATC Derby and with Mark Zahra again on board he is one of the main chances.

There is a short priced favourite in the race - Swiftfalcon - but Plymouth has similar form lines and was unlucky not to beat that horse home in the Rosehill Guineas.

The blinkers go back on today and Glen has been pleased with the young horse's progress since his Derby run.

"He came through that in great shape and worked very well on Tuesday morning, he is as good as we can have him."

"The barrier (8) is a bit tricky - ideally he can slide in and get a bit of cover. If that's the case he can switch off and be strong late... he should go close to winning."

It would be lovely to have Plymouth's name on a race with such a good history - the Frank Packer Plate having been won by such classy gallopers as Might And Power and Freemason.

Closer to home we have three horses heading to Mornington with the latter part of the day big for us... four runners in three consecutive races.

We kick off Bancory Bay and Peru lining up in one of the day's feature events, the $150,000 Mornington Guineas.

The blinkers went back on Bancory Bay at Yarra Valley last start and it proved a winning move with the promising three-year-old able to pounce on his rivals.

He faces a tougher test today but he is a horse the stable has always had an opinion of.

"He is a horse we've got a lot of time for and we think we've got him worked out now," Glen said, happy with the combination of blinkers and the 1600m.

"This is definitely his ideal trip though we do have a couple of slight concerns - the rise in grade and how he handles Mornington."

"He overcame the tightness of a smaller track last start but that may be harder to do in a stronger race. But from barrier 3 he can be up on speed and give this a good shake."

"Hopefully he can get some momentum going from before the turn," he said, confident that Jamie Mott who "knows him well" can give him the right sort of ride.

Peru, to be ridden by Declan Bates from the inside gate, is big odds in the same race but he has progressed nicely since his first up run.

"He has done very well, his work has been good."

"Hopefully he can use that barrier to his advantage and not get too far back as it can be tricky to give the others a start at Mornington; it is a track where backmarkers need things to go their way."

Peru has improved off first up runs during his short career to date and the step up to 1600m is going to suit the Brazen Beau gelding who contested last spring's Gr.1 VRC Derby.

The day's main event is the Listed Mornington Cup and we are looking forward to saddling up the in-form Bankers Choice who has jumped out very nicely since his soft on-pace victory at Caulfield in mid-February.

Second to Mr Brightside in a 780m home-track hit-out, Bankers Choice has "done extremely well since."

"He is nice and bright," Glen reported, "and this looks a nice race for him. He is racing well and Mornington does tend to suit horses up on the speed."

Bankers Choice - who has drawn ideally in barrier 3 with Daniel Stackhouse aboard - certainly has the right form lines, just two starts ago gallantly chasing home the Gr.1 mare Deny Knowledge in the Listed Victoria Cup at Caulfield.

The Listed Hareeba Stakes is another of the day's features and War Machine is justifiably favourite in the 1200m dash.

Last year's Listed Bendigo Guineas winner is having his first run since having to work too hard in the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes; a race which followed game showings in the Gr.3 Silver Eagle and the Golden Eagle.

The son of Harry Angel has won two of his three jump-outs this time in and is, Glen enthused "definitely the horse to beat."

"He has done extremely well since his last jump-out, he is nice and bright and in great shape for his first up run."

"We just need him to jump well from barrier 1, hopefully he can get into a good spot as we don't want him cluttered in on the rails - it can be tricky to get out at Mornington."

Declan Bates takes the ride having steered him to his jump-out successes and we hope to see out a big day in winning style!

Photo of Bankers Choice courtesy of Darryl Sherer.

[19 Apr 25]

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