It will be Illation’s first-up run and a “quantum leap” from his last-start Adelaide Guineas victory against arguably “the best horse in the country” in Saturday’s Magic Millions Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.
But the four-year-old’s co-trainer Michael Kent believes he has the fitness to be hard to overcome in the super-competitive field over 1400m.
The $1 million race contains the outstanding $6 winning chance with Ladbrokes, Western Empire.
The five-year-old gelding makes his first start after finishing second in the Kingston Town Classic in Perth on December 4 last year, following back and joint injuries.
Illation’s stablemate I’m Thunderstruck ($8.50) and favourite Alligator Blood ($5.50) also headline the all-star feature sprint.
Kent is confident Illation can match it with them.
“He looks really good. It’s a quantum leap from a couple of weak Listed races in Adelaide to a very strong Memsie,” he told horsebetting.com.au.
“But we just need to hopefully run in the top four here to get his rating up high enough so we secure a spot in the Rupert Clarke in three weeks.
“He’s fairly forward because he only had four weeks out. He ran fairly deep into the Adelaide Carnival.
“And during his spell we kept him active. He was ridden twice a week, and I think that has got him fairly fit.
“He’s clean-winded here post his gallops, and if he takes the class rise I think he’s going well enough to run really well.”
Kent said Illation – with Jamie Kah aboard – would have to run a different race to his three career starts, which have all been victories from excellent Mark Zahra rides.
“All three runs he’s drawn inside barriers and the pace has been very slow,” he said of his $6.50 winning chance.
“So it’s a different set-up. He’s drawn wide (13) unfortunately, which makes it bit difficult for him.
“And from that start at Caulfield if you go forward and you get stuck wide you can gas your horse.
“So we probably have to come back on him and down the outside. It’ll be very different to his three previous starts.”
Kent said Kah has a good understanding on how Illation operates.
“She’s done a lot of work on the horse through his whole career. She’s riding the horse because if the horse goes down in the handicaps he’ll be down in the weight where Mark can’t ride him,” Kent said.
“And Mark is riding our other horse (I’m Thunderstruck).”
Kent is impressed with Saturday’s field, but – along with Illation – also expects I’m Thunderstruck to be thereabouts at the finish line.
The five-year-old gelding has won almost $6.38 million in prizemoney, including the $7.5 million Golden Eagle over 1500m at Rosehill on October 30 last year.
“Really strong race. I think Western Empire is almost the best horse in the country. He’s come back from a little injury, but he’s had three trials and he’ll be well trained by Danny O’Brien,” Kent said.
“And if Alligator Blood is there at his best he’s a proper Group 1 1400m horse. So I think those two are the ones to beat.
“I’m Thunderstruck and Illation are in the mix as well. So if either of them get the right run and they’re close enough, they’ll definitely be storming home late.”
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