Cambridge sprinter out to earn Brisbane trip

Seventh Up may travel to Brisbane this winter. Source: Trish Dunell.

Brisbane is beckoning talented Cambridge stablemates Seventh Up and Go Nicholas if their trainer is willing to swallow her “brave pills.”

That’s the quip from Shelley Hale as she prepares to produce Go Nicholas in Saturday’s Preferment @ Brighthill Farm 1400 at Hastings.

The Hastings open sprint is Hale’s back-up option after she entered the Danroad six-year-old for last Saturday’s Group 2 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Pukekohe, but withdrew her charge because of a heavy track.

Seventh Up contested the race, but the winner of four of his five previous starts on a heavy track could only manage 12th place.

“The worst Go Nicholas operates on is a dead track so it was absolutely the right call to take him out,” Hale said.

“The other bloke has a good record on heavy tracks and he couldn’t even cop it. That’s the thing about our heavy tracks – there are two ratings but there’s a great deal many more variances.”

Seventh Up’s failure has led Hale to rethink her plan of a tilt at Saturday week’s Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast, but she said he had thrived since the run and should he please her in his next gallop he could still head to that race.

There are several suitable 1400m options for Go Nicholas through the Brisbane winter carnival too and a bold showing at Hastings could clinch him a trip.

“I’m quite happy with him. Like all trainers, we’re never happy with the weights – he’s just got into open grade and he’s already number two in the race book,” Hale said in reference to Go Nicholas’ rating going past 85 for the first time with his Rotorua win in Rating 85 company earlier this month.

“But he should go well so long as the predicted rain for Hastings can hold off. The 1400m on a rain- affected track isn’t ideal, but it’s much easier than a mile on a heavy track at Pukekohe.

“He ran well at Te Rapa last time, but the rain wasn’t ideal and they had just put sand on the track and a lot of horses weren’t happy with the kickback in their faces. Once he switched back down to the inside he hit the line hard.”

Rosie Myers takes the ride on Go Nicholas on Saturday from barrier four.

“He’s really well in himself and he should go a really nice race. There’s a couple of nice ones in below him at the weights like Deals In Heels so it won’t be easy, but he’s in good order,” Hale said.

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