Jockey Ben Allen remains unfazed by the competition that Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1200m) winner Baraqiel will face in Saturday’s inaugural The Meteorite.
Baraqiel, who last ran sixth in the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m), is viewed by connections as facing a more manageable field this weekend.
“He’s in really good order,” Allen told Racing.com after a workout at Moonee Valley on Monday.
“He’s bright, quite keen—not bad keen, but showing that he’s back to himself. (I) couldn’t fault his work.
“After the run at Flemington I was a little disappointed, but you look at it, you’re up against the best sprinters in Australia. He’s probably nearly run a personal best; it’s just harder down the straight—it’s more pressure on the speed.
“With his race pattern, you’ve got to be able to absorb pressure that first half and then have something left late. He’s got good early speed, so he’ll be able to put himself in a good spot (on Saturday).
“A lot of those that go well are going to have to come from behind. If you kick well off the bend, they can be hard to catch at Cranbourne.”
The Will Larkin, Leon, and Troy Corstens-trained gelding, who only began his racing career as a five-year-old last May, is set to be spelled after Saturday with an eye on the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) in the autumn.
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