SURPRISE BABY’S win in last season’s Adelaide Cup may not have been the most important all year, but in time it may prove to be the most significant.
At just his sixth race start SURPRISE BABY, trained by Horsham’s talented Paul Preusker, scored an extraordinary win at Group 2 level over 3200-metres.
His two subsequent runs at Flemington in quality staying ranks included his last start nose second in the Melbourne Cup qualifying Andrew Ramsden over 2800-metres.
Preusker, still adamant he had a Melbourne Cup horse in the making, put him straight aside still planning his Spring campaign to culminate on the first Tuesday in November.
Tomorrow at Moonee Valley we get to see SURPRISE BABY, an $11 chance with TABCORP, for the first time since that Ramsden effort.
The punt is supposed to be difficult and this renewal of the Feehan Stakes (1600m) appears on paper to be as hard as it gets.
Many different form-lines with horses coming from various jurisdictions around the world make this an intriguing affair.
We have horses from Great Britain, France, Ireland, America, South Africa, New Zealand and Germany competing in this one race (plus the locals of course).
It would seem very few of them would call 1600-metres their favourite racing distance, thus the confusion in trying to isolate the winner.
What SURPRISE BABY has going for him is rare talent as his stunning Adelaide Cup win indicated.
He also has a runaway win in weaker grade at Moonee Valley over this distance – something only $21 chance MAHAMEDEIS has done.
The lightly-raced but impressive HOLMESMAN ($4.80 fav) ran second in this race last year ironically behind the Paul Preusker-trained Magic Consol.
HOLMESMAN then went on to win the Group 1 Underwood Stakes before finishing a brave second in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup, so there is no doubting his class.
This former USA galloper is first-up having not been seen since his close second to Godolphin’s Best Solution in last year’s $5 million Caulfield Cup.
Although awkwardly drawn in gate 13 for Ben Melham, HOLMESMAN will be very strong late and is clearly one of the better chances.
Of the 15 runners very few, if any, appear to have ‘no hope’.
Dual Group 1 winner during the Brisbane Winter Carnival – KENEDNA ($6.50) – looks well placed following her first-up seventh in the P. B. Lawrence behind Mystic Journey.
A run fitter and the extra 200-metres of the Feehan should see her tough to beat from gate 7 with John Allen aboard.
Godolphin’s BEST OF DAYS ($6.50) and SIKANDARABAD ($6.50) also seem well placed with the former coming into this off an excellent 2-length seventh to Samadoubt in the Group 1 Winx Stakes, in Sydney two weeks ago.
He, like KENEDNA, will be better suited over this trip and having had a run, while SIKANDARABAD was an eye-catcher when fourth to Mystic Journey in the Lawrence first-up.
This former Irish galloper may have gone to a new level after a good break given he showed glimpses of real talent at his previous preparation.
FIFTY STARS ($10) is a quality galloper on the rise, while former South African YULONG PRINCE ($12) has talent and was very good when first-up behind Guizot.
Former German horse BEAU BALMAIN ($12), and last start Frank Packer Plate-winner THE CHOSEN ONE, from New Zealand, are yet others with genuine claims.
Personally I think this is a raffle, but given the odds I’ll be having a small each-way investment on SURPRISE BABY.
Good luck!
