No limits for Easthope in Blue Spec Stakes
Trainer Jeremy Easthope is looking forward to saddling Upper Limits and believes he’s primed to turn the tables in the $100,000 Blue Spec Stakes (1650m) at Belmont on Saturday.
Upper Limits ran second to hot commodity Triple Jay in the Jockey Celebration Day Stakes (1400m) two weeks ago, but Jeremy Easthope says he has good reason to think his combatant can put his best foot forward and reverse the result on the weekend.
“I think he’ll go well and his run the other day was good,” Easthope said to Racing WA.
“We had few minor things behind the scenes last start, but the last couple of weeks have been really good.
“He worked really good at Lark Hill this morning (Wednesday) and we’re looking forward to getting him up to the mile.
“That’s sort of his sweet spot and hopefully we can get the better of Triple Jay this week.”
Under Lucy Fiore, Upper Limits settled fourth and followed Triple Jay in the Jockey Celebration Day Stakes and as hard as he tried, he couldn’t bridge the gap in the straight and fell short by one length.
Triple Jay, prepared by Dan and Ben Pearce, a stable in top form, is attempting to win four straight races in the Blue Spec Stakes and his first over the distance.
Easthope has abundant respect for Triple Jay, rating him the hardest horse to beat and the biggest threat to Upper Limit’s prospects.
Despite a minor distance query, Easthope doesn’t believe that will be Triple Jay’s Achilles heel or bring about the undoing of the five-year-old.
“The way he runs out the 1400m you wouldn’t think so,” Easthope said.
“He’s strong and still held us ok the other day.
“Lucy said if she had her time again, she would have eyeballed Triple Jay at the top of the straight, instead of trying to sit and chase him.
“She would have gone and put the pressure on a bit earlier.”
Upper Limits and Fiore team up again in the Blue Spec Stakes, commencing from barrier eight in the field of nine starters.
Easthope said Upper Limits is a possibility for the upcoming Kalgoorlie carnival, the Hannans (1400m) and Kalgoorlie Cup (2300m) are being considered.
Later, Ascot carnival ambitions include the Railway Stakes (1600m) and Perth Cup (2400m).
Easthope is keen to grab a second Goldfields feature after winning the Hannans in 2008 with Fim Maru.
With Tab touch, Upper Limits is rated a $7 chance in the Blue Spec Stakes. Triple Jay the $2.50 favourite.
More Racing News
Dan Morton keeps faith with 2024 Railway Stakes mare
Trainer Dan Morton has shrugged aside Super Smink’s horror barrier draw and still thinks she can win the Group 1 Swan Draught-Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday. A layer of complexity was added to Super Smink’s Railway Stakes bid after she was handed barrier 18, but Dan Morton is keeping the...
Timing right for Port Lockroy in G1 Railway Stakes bid
He’s one of five interstate raiders and the outsider of the quintet, but co-trainer, Rob Archibald believes there is a sense of timing about Port Lockroy in Saturday’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot. Rob Archibald, who shares training duties with Annabel Neasham, says Port Lockroy put himself into Railway Stakes...
Royal task for Gilded Water at local debut
A benchmark race on The Gong undercard will add some Royal flavour to the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting when a horse owned by His Majesty King Charles III makes his local debut. Four-year-old Gilded Water has been sent to Australia to continue his racing career, having started just four times in the...
Improving trio to fly flag for Godolphin at Kembla Grange
Godolphin doesn’t have a representative in The Gong, but James Cummings is content to rely on a trio of up-and-coming sprinters to carry the stable’s hopes at the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting. Fleetwood will headline the leading yard’s squad when he resumes in the Group 3 The Warra (1000m), while Pisanello and Restonica contest benchmark...
Jason Collett hoping to find Express lane in The Gong
Jason Collett is resigned to the fact that he will be more reliant on luck than good management as he tries to coax another win out of Territory Express in the $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange. The Provincial-Midway Championships Final victor in the autumn, Territory Express has a get-back racing pattern...
Mark Walker aims for ‘new’ hometown Cranbourne Cup
Trainer Mark Walker has a good record when in form New Zealand gallopers land in Australia. Walker’s latest ‘import’ is It’s A Wild Night who will have his first Australian outing in the Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m) on Saturday. It’s A Wild Night arrived at Walker’s Cranbourne base just over a week ago...
Railway Stakes 2024 timing perfect for Baker’s Bel
In-form mare Belclare will need to overcome a wide alley to land her first Australian Group One win in the Railway Stakes at Ascot, and connections believe Nash Rawiller is the perfect man for the job. A two-time victor at the highest level in New Zealand, Belclare joined the Sydney stable of Bjorn...
Trainer Gavin Bedggood chasing Fortune in The Meteorite
Gavin Bedggood hopes the decision to take Oscar’s Fortune to Cranbourne for a midweek gallop will pay off handsomely on Saturday. Oscar’s Fortune runs in the $1 million The Meteorite (1200m), a new ‘slot race’ that Southside Racing, a merged entity of the Cranbourne and Pakenham Clubs, runs for the first time. The former...
John Stewart eyes Melbourne with 2024 Japan Cup fancy
Goliath faces one of the toughest tasks in racing this weekend, beating the Japanese at home in their biggest race, but John Stewart is already planning his next moves with his star recruit and Australia is on the itinerary. The ambitious American has quickly become a powerful investor in Australian racing and...
Hedged poised to give The Warra rivals a trim-up
The Magic Millions carnival is the campaign focal point for promising sprinter Hedged, but trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are hoping he can knock off a feature race along the way. The gelding will resume in the Group 3 The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday, his first start...
