Excel Stride hits the ABC in a rich vein of form
If there’s one trainer who won’t be getting ahead of herself heading into Friday night’s Australasian Breeders Crown semi-finals, it’s Kemps Creek trainer Lizzie Heath.
The New South Wales conditioner has the horse most consider the main danger to Sushi Sushi in the three-year-old colts and geldings’ section, Excel Stride, but the disappointment of 12 months ago means Heath won’t be taking anything for granted.
The son of Aces N Sevens was also one of the leading fancies for last year’s series, but endured a luckless run in his semi-final run and missed a start in the final by one position (he was the emergency).
The demolition job he then did on his rivals in the consolation, when he cruised home by 25 metres in a 1:57.5 mile rate, only served to heighten Heath’s frustration.
So with a tricky back-row draw of 10 to contend with in Friday night’s latter semi (at 9:42pm), Heath won’t be thinking about the $181,000 Group 1 final on August 21 until the colt secures the top-six semi-final placing that assures his position.
“He was back in the field a little bit and when Robbie (Morris, driver) took off, Chris (Alford) went in front of him but didn’t cart him into the race,” Heath recalled of last year’s semi.
“So he was a bit wide on the corner, he actually didn’t make the corner too well, but then when he straightened up he got going but he just missed out.
“I think you had to be the fastest sixth (to qualify). He ran sixth, but he wasn’t the fastest unfortunately.”
Excel Stride has put that disappointment behind him to unleash a stunning three-year-old season. He started moderately, with three wins from his first seven starts, but has gone to another level since returning from a New Zealand Derby campaign.
His only defeat in 10 starts since the trip to NZ was a commendable second to Victorian sensation Sushi Sushi – who is unbeaten in 11 starts this season – in the Group 1 New South Wales Breeders Challenge three starts back.
Excel Stride rounded out his Breeders Crown preparations with a slick 1:52.1 M0 win over 1609m at Menangle last Saturday night and while Heath said that was slightly quicker than they intended to go, driver Greg Bennett felt he had a bit up his sleeve.
“We weren’t planning on going that quick, but Greg said he felt really well and he did it quite comfortably,” Heath said. “The main thing was to have a solid hit out for the semi and he got that.”
The positive for Heath and Bennett this weekend is that most of Excel Stride’s key dangers, with the exception of polemarker Mustang Mach, have also drawn poorly.
Defending Breeders Crown champion Royal Verdict has barrier six, top sit-sprinter Abettorpunt is even wider in seven, while boom Queenslander, Caesars Folly, a winner of 15 of 17 starts this season, has the inside of the back row (8).
Their semi will complete the three-year-old boys’ qualifiers with Sushi Sushi to go around long odds-on from the ace alley in the opening semi, at 7:42pm, despite the presence of Savesomtimetodream (5) and Kiwi X-factor Franco Lordship (11).
