Stokes looks to more Sydney riches after $500k test run in Coast

Victorian trainer Phillip Stokes was eyeing the $2 million Five Diamonds at Rosehill in the spring with Athanatos after he cruised to victory in his test run, the $500,000 The Coast (1600m), at Gosford on Saturday.

Kerrin McEvoy took Athanatos ($11) to victory in the three- and four-year-olds race as part of a feature double on the standalone program.

The four-year-old, which had placed 14 times in 22 starts and won just three times, sat behind the leading pair before McEvoy put him into the race on the turn. Favourite Sarrismo ($2.90) led and boxed on for second, one length behind Athanatos.

Stokes praised the “beautiful ride” of McEvoy and said the Coast was a test run for a next preparation aimed at the Five Diamonds.

“I’m sort of getting a bit of handle on Sydney now, and it’s something we want to explore more and have a little more presence there, so it’s important if we can identify horses to send up there,” said Stokes, who also won the group 2 Cummings Stakes with Arran Bay at Morphettville on Saturday. “He might be a horse we now have to look at Brisbane with.”

McEvoy said he had been encouraged by Athanatos’ form, especially with one of his rare occasions missing a place.

“I was pretty confident when I got the booking and looked at his runs,” McEvoy said. “I gave Stokesy a call yesterday, and he backed it up. He said he’s in good form. I got confidence out of the last time he went to a mile was the Toorak, as we know a competitive handicap, a group 1, and he wasn’t beaten far [when fourth].”

McEvoy earlier won the Takeover Target Stakes on King Of Roseau in a thrilling finish. He drove the four-year-old gelding, carting 60 kilograms, down the outside to beat Harry’s Yacht by a short half-head.

Trainer Peter Snowden chose the listed 1200m race over another on the Gold Coast on Saturday and the plan was now to target the 1300m Kingsford-Smith at Eagle Farm on May 30 and potentially the $3 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) two weeks later.

McEvoy expected King Of Roseau to improve off a gritty win.

“Looking at him, he’s going to improve,” McEvoy said.

“Typical of one of Pete’s, he hasn’t got him screwed down, so a nice, gritty win there. A tough win.”

King Of Roseau, second in a 1200m benchmark 78 on the same program last year, was into $11 for the Kingsford-Smith.

Waller looks to Queensland targets

Premier trainer Chris Waller said Asterix was likely to head to two Eagle Farm features after the seven-year-old carried 61 kilograms to victory in the Gosford Gold Cup (2100m) on Saturday.

Asterix, a last-start winner of the JRA Plate, sliced through the field and sprinted well late under the big weight to score a one-length victory over Zaphod in the Big Dance qualifier.

Jockey Jason Collett was given a three-meeting suspension for careless riding on Asterix, which shifted in on Lees-trained You Wahng near the 100m. He was set to be out from May 17 to 22.

Waller, who now has four Gosford Cups, said Asterix was likely to race next in the group 3 Lord Mayors Cup (1800m) on May 30 then the group 2 Q22 (2200m) on June 13. Waller had a treble on the day after earlier winning with Nobler and Monopolistic.

Fitter filly delivers in Baker double

Bjorn Baker will consider a Queensland stakes race for I Am Dirty after she lived up to expectations second-up at Gosford on Saturday as part of a double for the stable and jockey Rachel King.

The $600,000 I Am Invincible filly, a $2.60 favourite in the 1200m 2YO handicap, raced outside the leader before taking over at the top of the straight and winning by two lengths from Quarterback. I Am Dirty was sixth on debut at Randwick after a wide run.

“I guess she was just a little bit fitter and better,” Baker said of Saturday’s win. “We might look at a stakes race in Queensland, but we’ll see how we go.

“Maybe we go one more, or possibly put her out. I’ve always had a really good opinion of her and it’s important to win these two-year-old races, especially a Saturday race. I think she’s going to go on to better things, it’s just a matter of when.”

Baker’s wife, Andrea, is a part-owner of the filly and managing owner of the Compensation, which later claimed the $200,000 Thousand Guineas with King leading all the way on the $1.95 favourite, beating Stratafy by a half-length. It was a third consecutive win for the Written Tycoon three-year-old gelding which Baker said would now go for a spell.

“That’s her Mother’s Day gift actually because I haven’t got anything else organised,” Baker quipped.

Derby hopes rise with storming finish

Chris Waller-trained Monopolistic surged into Queensland Derby contention with a flashing run through the field to win the 2100m benchmark 78 handicap at Gosford on Saturday.

Andrew Adkins took the Savabeel gelding from second last down the back straight and weaved a path through the pack to edge out King Pedro and King Of The Sea.

Waller stable representative Zane Jones said Monopolistic would up there with Providence, another Newgate-China Horse Club galloper, as their top seed for the Derby.

“He’s faced a nice drop in grade today, he’s been coming out of some pretty hot races during the carnival at Randwick and he made the most of it,” Jones said. “It was a great ride by Andy.”

Monopolistic was $15 into $6 for the group 1, May 30 Derby. Providence was second elect at $4.50.

Waller also had the trifecta in the 1600m benchmark 72 handicap at Gosford with Nobler, Mr Miller and Cloisters.

Price right with Smashing Time

Kembla trainers Robert and Luke Price came away with another Midway win at Gosford, and a track record, when Smashing Time led all the way with the addition of blinkers.

Smashing Time, coming off a second at Kembla when first up, led under Adam Hyeronimus and was strong late to beat favourite Spice Baby by three-quarters of a length, running 1:08.8 for the 1200m. The Prices won the same race last year with Monte Kate.

It was a fourth win in 20 starts for four-year-old Smashing Time.

“He’s never really aimed up to what his true potential was,” Robert said. “He’s the sort of horse you will get two good runs out of in a prep, so we are mindful of that these days. And he can probably win better races than he just won, but everything was made to suit today.”

Matt Dunn-trained Neil also ran quick time, 56.92 seconds for 1000m, leading throughout under Nash Rawiller to win the class 3 Highway Handicap.