In Brief
- Outside barrier will test pint-sized star in Goodwood.
- Dean Holland booked to ride The Inevitable.
- Light weight (56kg) a help and betting drift not a concern.
Star Tasmanian galloper The Inevitable will go into Saturday’s Group 1 $400,000 Goodwood Handicap in great shape.
That’s the word from his temporary trainer Patrick Payne who has taken over the gelding’s training due to Scott Brunton being locked down in Tasmania due to the coronavirus pandemic travel restrictions.
The Inevitable has drawn the outside barrier in the field of 15 and he has drifted as a result in betting easing from $5.50 to as much as $10 after the barrier draw.
The Inevitable was prepared by Brunton, Tasmania’s premier trainer for the past four seasons, for all but the gelding’s latest outing at Flemington.
“Obviously the horse was in great shape when he arrived from Tasmania and after his first start in my care at Flemington two weeks ago he has really come on,” Payne said.
“I’ve noticed that his racing pattern seems to have changed and he showed that last start when all he wanted to do was settle in the race but his finish was exceptional.
“He has improved a lot since that run and while he’s drawn awkwardly, I’m confident he will give a good sight.”
The Inevitable showed his class early this season when he travelled to Sydney to win the $500,000 Silver Eagle (1300m) at Randwick in October and while he failed in the inaugural $7.5 million Golden Eagle there were genuine excuses for that result.
Brunton ran him first-up in the Group 1 $1.1 million Newmarket Handicap at Flemington in March in which he suffered a minor injury that resulted in the gelding returning to Tasmania to recuperate.
Last start he settled well back in an open handicap over 1000m at Flemington on Anzac Day but rattled home late, producing the best closing sectionals of the day.
The Inevitable gets in with a light weight of 56kg with Dean Holland given the responsibility of overcoming the outside barrier.
This year’s Goodwood boasts a star-studded line-up including Santa Ana Lane, Sunlight, Gytrash and recent Wangoom Handicap winner Order of Command.
Blaze Forth
While The Inevitable is in the mounting yard at Morphettville waiting to take on one of his greatest challenges on Saturday, another Tasmanian sprinter Blaze Forth will be trying to notch his first win on interstate soil at Flemington.
The John Blacker-trained gelding comes off an eye-catching sixth at Sandown two weeks ago on an unsuitable heavy track over 1400m but he will be better suited on what is expected to be a much firmer surface on Saturday.
Dwayne Dunn has been booked to ride the Conquering Stakes winner with the gelding to start from gate nine carrying 57.5kg
The Goodwood is race eight on the Morphettville card at 16:25 AEST while Blaze Forth will run at Flemington 15 minutes prior, with that race scheduled for 16:10.
Watch The Inevitable easily win a trial in Hobart prior to heading interstate.