The David Hayes & Tom Dabernig-trained Blue Sapphire Stakes winner Keen Array is the headline nomination for Saturday’s Red Anchor Stakes 2015 at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day.
Blue Sapphire Stakes winner Keen Array is the highest-rated entry for Saturday’s 2015 Red Anchor Stakes on Cox Plate Day. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The three-year-old Bel Esprit gelding is one of 15 from his age group entered for this year’s $150,000 Group 3 Red Anchor Stakes (1200m), run as the Telstra Phonewords Stakes.
Having won four of his past five starts, the flyer has winning form at the track and distance having defeated Mawahibb by two and a half lengths on October 4 before his Listed Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on October 14.
Lindsay Park’s Hayes & Dabernig have also nominated for Faatinah for Saturday’s Red Anchor Stakes, a lead-up to the $500,000 Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day Saturday week on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
A lightly-raced son of Nicconi, Faatinah is yet to run worse than third in three career runs and stepped up to stakes’ company for the first time on October 4 at Flemington when third to One For One in the Listed Poseidon Stakes (1400m) over 200m further than Saturday’s showdown.
Along with Keen Array the other last start winners nominated for the Red Anchor are the Mark Kavanagh-trained Fastnet Rock gelding Atlantic City and Von Vacheron from the Mick Price stables.
The other highest rated hopeful after the Blue Sapphire winner meanwhile is the John O’Shea-trained Haptic, one of three Godolphin-raced runners in the mix.
Exceed And Excel gelding Haptic is a black-type winner in Sydney who made his Melbourne debut on October 14 when third past the past on the Blue Sapphire Stakes defeated just over a length.
The two other O’Shea-trained stablemates nominated for the Red Anchor Stakes are the in-form Holler and Demonstrate also coming off a top three run.
Commands colt Holler has run second in his two most recent runs, the latest of which was in the Listed Gothic Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield only last Saturday on Cup Day.
Demonstrate is a son of New Approach who is well-tested with nine runs to date, including four over Saturday’s distance (4-1-1-1) with his most recent run being a third when under a length off Gold Symphony in the Group 3 HDF McNeil Stakes (1200m) in late August.
Other noteworthy entries include the Robert Smerdon-trained Reward For Effort colt Ability who comes off a third to Keen Array from the start of the month at the Valley, runner-up in that same lead-up Mawahibb for Team Hawkes and Ciaron Maher’s Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) fifth placed Lonhro colt Brockhoff.
Check out the full Red Anchor Stakes 2015 nominations below then make sure you head over to Ladbrokes.com.au and open an account before Saturday to ensure you have access to an Extra 50% on your very first Fixed Odds winner in Races 1 – 5 on Cox Plate Day!
2015 Red Anchor Stakes Nominations
Moonee Valley Racecourse – 24/10/2015
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2163 | ABILITY | C | 3 | Robert Smerdon | 64 |
| 2 | 7×1 | ATLANTIC CITY | G | 3 | Mark Kavanagh | 62 |
| 3 | 8×15 | BROCKHOFF | C | 3 | Ciaron Maher | 65 |
| 4 | 40×3215143 | DEMONSTRATE | G | 3 | John O’Shea | 72 |
| 5 | 123 | FAATINAH | G | 3 | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | 65 |
| 6 | 110×323 | HAPTIC | G | 3 | John O’Shea | 80 |
| 7 | 1x3x3822 | HOLLER | C | 3 | John O’Shea | 74 |
| 8 | – | JANUARY RAIN | C | 3 | Angela Plumb | 61 |
| 9 | 40×11211 | KEEN ARRAY | G | 3 | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | 86 |
| 10 | 4x21x32 | MAWAHIBB | C | 3 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 69 |
| 11 | 6341×2830 | MORE THAN MOST | C | 3 | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | 64 |
| 12 | 3551×5 | POSITIVE CHARGE | F | 3 | Bryce Heys | 63 |
| 13 | 630×18 | TRUCULENT | C | 3 | Shaun Dwyer | 62 |
| 14 | 5x49x1 | VON VACHERON | C | 3 | Mick Price | 62 |
| 15 | 58140×146 | WELL SIGHTED | G | 3 | Ciaron Maher | 67 |
