In Brief
- The Inevitable rated an each-way chance in an open race.
- Barrier 13 appears a positive rather than negative.
- Brett Prebble takes the ride with Craig Newitt suspended.
Budding superstar The Inevitable sees a long-term target come to fruition tomorrow when he tackles the $1,250,000 Group one Newmarket Handicap down the Flemington straight.
The four-year-old son of Dundeel hasn’t raced since the Golden Eagle at Rosehill in November, a race where things didn’t go to plan both before and during the race.
After a few months off, trainer Scott Brunton picked out the Newmarket as the first-up aim, despite only one horse in the past 100 years winning the race without a lead-up run.
“It’s been a long-term plan to get him ready for this,” Brunton said.
A field of 13 has been assembled for the race and as you would expect for a Group one, it isn’t lacking any quality, but the trainer goes into Saturday with an air of confidence.
“We’re very excited going there, we’re very hopeful, we think we’ve drawn a good barrier and we’ve got the right rider on,” said the trainer who has enjoyed seven winners at the past two Tasmanian meetings.
Rated a $9.00 chance with Ladbrokes, The Inevitable will jump from the outside barrier of 13 with Brett Prebble in the saddle, an alley that is often favoured in straight races particularly with the track rated a heavy 8 on Friday morning.
“We had Craig Newitt booked for the horse but unfortunately he was suspended and unable to fulfil his duties and Brett Prebble was the one bloke that called up, so he got the nod,” explained Brunton about the jockey booking.
The Inevitable travelled by boat to Melbourne overnight on Thursday and will head to the stables of Patrick Payne in preparation for his biggest career test Saturday afternoon.
The Newmarket Handicap is the sixth race on tomorrow’s Flemington card, scheduled to jump at 15:25 AEST.
Watch the replay of The Inevitable’s trial on 11 February.