Bart Sinclair's Preview - Roku Gin The Gateway Raceday

 
Trainer Desleigh Forster goes to Eagle Farm on Saturday confident she has three highly fancied runners with ideal credentials.

And it’s difficult to shoot holes in her argument for all three – Apache Chase, Exo Lady and Georgie’s Pride.

Apache Chase, the red hot favorite for The Gateway, is a gun at Eagle Farm where he has won six from 11 starts. He’s also outstanding at the 1400 metres trip with five victories from seven attempts.

Two starts back he won track and distance before he travelled to Sydney to run in the $7.5 million Golden Eagle where he finished fourth, beaten 1.7 lengths, over 1500 metres.

The set weight condition of The Gateway is another big tick for Apache Chase’s claims. He has career earnings to date of $1.247 million with Dzenifer ($227,500) the next highest prizemoney earner.

Undoubtedly Apache Chase would be conceding a lot of weight to all his rivals under handicap conditions.

Exo Lad will try to stretch her unbeaten record to three in the Calaway Gal. The filly has led and been successful in both her runs, the latest at Doomben on October 23.

Forster thinks ultimately Exo Lady will be better ridden behind the pace but from an awkward draw at nine rider Jim Byrne will be forced to use her good gate speed to get near the rails.

Exo Lady is not eligible to run in the Magic Millions and Forster has pinpointed the Gold Nugget at the Gold Coast on January 8 and her next target before a spell to prepare for the winter carnival.

To the eye Exo Lady was fading a little at the end of her last win but Forster said the filly was inclined to switch off once she was clear of the nearest opposition.

Georgie’s Pride has been freshened since finishing a brave third under 61kg at Rosehill on October 30. She also has a terrific Eagle Farm record – five wins in nine starts – and is entitled to be well in the market for the Just Now Stakes which has attracted a strong field.

Tycoon Evie, like many of the Just Now runners, is backing up from a solid fifth over 1200 metres at Doomben last week.

The extra 100 metres will suit Tycoon Evie as will getting back to the bigger Eagle Farm track where she has won four from six.