Sitting Cell seeks first win and Dubai competes in G3 Sandown

2019-11-13 18:05:35
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Sitting Cell and Dubai are looking to continue their stable performance at the close of the Melbourne Spring Festival in Sandown, where they will make their debut in Australia on Saturday (November 16th).

Sitting Cell, who will be competing for the first time since winning the 2000m Epsom in August, will compete in the Eclipse Stakes G3, and will also be the first for Dubai in Australia through Kevin Heffernan Stakes.

Coach Charlie Appleby is confident that the Jawadins will perform well at a ceremony in which he has already played "Strong" to win at Sandown Cup in 2016.

"Sitting Cell has been performing consistently throughout the summer and we are satisfied with the preparations," he said.

"He has also been carrying heavy weights in Handicap races in the UK, and we feel he has a good chance of a G3 race, and competition for the least distance (9 furlongs) will not be a problem."

Sitting Cell carries a weight of 56.5 kg in the Eclipse, which is 4.5 kg less than the weight he took in his last participation in Epsom.

Appleby expects the Heffernan Stakes to be suitable for Dubai and will be joined by the local Godolphin, Home of the Brave.

"Dubai has already won the G2 race in Dubai this year, and we feel it has a good chance in the G3 race," he said.

"He settled well in Australia, and the Australian racing style would fit him.

"He returns to racing after an absence but is ready to run well, and if he shows the same level he did in Dubai, he should be a strong contender in the race."

Home of the Brave, also registered for The Hunter in Newcastle, represents Godolphin's local team at Heffernan.

Coach James Cummings said: "In any participation this horse has played this season, he was showing what we are pleased with, and I think he deserves to compete well in either race.

"I look forward to being involved in a weight-for-age race, but there is a million-dollar prize in Newcastle.
"Both races are at 1,300 meters and both are very convenient."

The local stable opens at the Gest and Hanseatic in their first appearance at the Mersen Cooper Stakes.

Gest, the daughter of Oxide & Excel and sister of the good dowry, Subedar, is expected to show competitiveness in the final stage of the 1000-meter race.

Cummings said: "The rate of readiness rose very quickly last month.

"She showed determination in her preparatory experiment at Warrick Farm, and continued to improve performance."

Hanseatic, the son of the stallion Street Boss, comes from the family of the Black Caviar, a Godolphin winner recently in Flamington, South, and is coached by Anthony Friedman.

Assistant coach Sam Friedman said: "He is a wonderful horse in fact and has not been under great pressure so far.

He has performed well in his preparatory experience at Flamington this week, and the 1000 meters may be a bit short on him but we look forward to seeing him participate in the races.

Verdain, under Cummings' supervision, is taking part in the Devon Stakes List, where he is expected to do better after disappointing at Flamington last week.

"Verdain has not shown his expected form in the last Flamington race after he performed well behind Treking at the Scalache in Caulfield," the coach said.

Cummings will also take part in the "Lorient" sister of the winner of the first category "Kemantari" in the Twilight Glow Stakes List.

"We can expect a lot, given the significant improvement in their performance in the first two entries," he said.

In her recent participation she formed a serious competition for older horses in Sydney, and therefore worthy of consideration in this race. ”