Exciting News – Laurel Oak Breeders’ Plate Runner
We certainly do not plan to bring you an interim Grandstand View update every time we have a runner, only when we have an extra-special runner. (All our runners are special, and render us excited pre-race, hence the need for “extra-special”!)
For the first time in Laurel Oak’s history, we will have a runner in the $150,000 Listed Breeders’ Plate, the first 2yo race of the season for colts and geldings, run this Saturday, 30 September, on what is Epsom Handicap Day and Sydney’s premier spring raceday.
The Gary Portelli-trained Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale purchase EXCELTIC is set to run in this coming Saturday’s Breeders’ Plate with leading international jockey Joao Moreira booked to ride.
Over the years, including this year, we have had other 2yos that looked like they might make the Breeders’ Plate or the fillies’ equivalent, the Gimcrack Stakes, but haven’t quite made it due to shinsoreness or other immaturity issues.
However this Excelebration colt has coped brilliantly (“touchwood”, he says with three days still to go!), showing good ability along the way, and now finds himself running in the first 2yo race of the season. Exceltic won a barrier trial at Warwick Farm on 8 September, and has come through the trial well and subsequently trained on well.
We have many new owners in this horse, and it will be a very exciting experience to have a runner on this feature raceday. He has drawn wider than ideal in barrier ten, which will make his task more difficult, but hopefully Joao the Magic Man can indeed weave his magic for us.
After the barrier draw, he is eighth-favourite out of the thirteen runners, which may be a fair reflection of his chances, but it will be very exciting just to be there!
Exceltic, by Excelebration out of Offshore Sham, as a yearling. Gary Portelli also trained his mother. Exceltic was purchased for $120,000. (Photo courtesy Inglis)
After our quiet two weeks, we have a number of other runners getting close to action, with OBSIDIAN set to resume at Rosehill this afternoon, BID OF FAITH returning from a long injury layoff at Moruya on Friday, and SIKHING GLORY and CANBERRA possible Warwick Farm starters next Monday, which will be the beginning of another week where we look like having more Laurel Oak runners.
The Summary of Laurel Oak Horses has been updated as of today and if you would like to check on any particular horse, here is the link. Please note that you need the password laureloak to access this link, as it is restricted to Grandstand View email readers.