Avenue Chases Group One Glory In Sangster
- Tuesday, 22 March 2011 23:45
Last start winner Avenue will have to overcome a wide barrier if she is to claim her first Group One in Saturday's $350,000 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) - also known as the Sportingbet Classic - at Morphettville.
Avenue finished second behind Eagle Falls in last month's Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield and then bounced back by winning the Group 3 R.N Irwin Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville (pictured right) last start.
Avenue ran in last year's edition of the Robert Sangster won by Rostova. After leading the field from barrier 13, Avenue dropped out to run third last in the 18-horse field.
Both placegetters from the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) are in the field with Crystal Lily to be ridden by Stephen Baster and Mark Zahra booked to ride Beaded.
However Crystal Lily is also entered for the William Reid Stakes and is more likely at this stage to run at Moonee Valley this Friday Night.
The final field for the Robert Sangster Stakes can be viewed below.
Morphettville (Saturday)
Race 7 @ 4:50pm - $350,000 Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m)
| # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br | Kg |
| 1 | AVENUE | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 12 | 56.5 |
| 2 | BEADED | Peter Snowden | Mark Zahra | 11 | 56.5 |
| 3 | RESPONSE | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | Dwayne Dunn | 10 | 56.5 |
| 4 | DUBLEANNY | Mick Price | Craig Newitt | 2 | 56.5 |
| 5 | IMPRESSIVE EAGLE | Danny O'Brien | 1 | 56.5 | |
| 6 | VARENNA MISS | Tony Noonan | Steven King | 5 | 56.5 |
| 7 | I'M A HUSSY | David & Scott Brunton | 9 | 56.5 | |
| 8 | VALENTINE MISS | Mark Kavanagh | Steven Arnold | 4 | 56.5 |
| 9 | MISS OCTOPUSSY | Tom Hughes | Dean Holland | 8 | 56.5 |
| 10 | HAPPY ANGEL | Dale Schmitt | Daniel Schmitt | 7 | 56.5 |
| 11 | CRYSTAL LILY | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | Stephen Baster | 3 | 54 |
| 12 | PANIPIQUE | Peter G Moody | Ben Melham | 6 | 54 |
| 13 | DANCE OF THE OCEAN | John P Thompson | 13 | 54 |
Picture: Jenny Barnes