Gamblestown primed for Randwick sprint

Monday 30 November 2015, 3:53pm

Unless there are any surprises when extended nominations close, Gamblestown will run in a 1400 metre-race at Randwick instead of waiting another week for the Group Two Villiers Stakes.

With nine entries for Saturday's Benchmark 93, nominations are extended until Tuesday morning.

Gamblestown's trainer Joe Pride said if it looked like being a small field, the gelding would attempt to win his third successive race before going for a summer spell.

"As the race is at the moment it looks too tempting," Pride said.

"I'll look at what happens in the morning but I don't think I can knock back the opportunity and he is most likely to go to the races on Saturday.

"The Villiers was also an option but he can't do both."

Sam Clipperton, who has ridden Gamblestown to two of his three wins from his past four starts, takes the mount on Saturday.

At his most recent start on November 21, Gamblestown beat Wine Tales by 2-1/2 lengths with the Chris Waller-trained mare among the entries on Saturday.

Pride will also take Champagne Rein to Randwick for the Benchmark 85 but the gelding's elder sister Bonete is more likely to go to Canterbury on Wednesday.

Both are by Captain Rio out of Golden Sparkle, a half sister to Parfore, the dam of Pride-trained Group One winners Tiger Tees and Terravista and Group One placed Ball of Muscle.

"They are from a branch of that family but that branch is not quite as strong so far," Pride said.

The trainer will send speedster Diamond Oasis to Melbourne to run in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1000m) at Sandown on Saturday.

"It looks like an ideal race for him," he said.

Terravista, meanwhile, is having short break before he returns to the stable for a campaign scheduled to begin in February with the Lightning Stakes.

"He's not too far away from returning and his autumn program is likely to be the Lightning and the Newmarket in Melbourne, the TJ Smith and All Aged Stakes in Sydney and then perhaps Brisbane," Pride said.

– AAP

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