TOONA CILIATA, second to SHE’S A MANEATER in last year’s Superstakes, followed by a third-place run in the Diamond Mile behind the now-retired champion mare and her American-bred stablemate, STRANGER DANGER, is running a class lower this afternoon, open allowance, despite having beaten the grade twice in four months.
Hoping to ‘level the playing field’ of having a grade-one horse compete among open allowance runners, who he beat as recently as four months ago, the racing office has allotted TOONA CILIATA 130lb, a mere four pounds heavier than March 17 when he annihilated CRIMSON and SENTIENT at seven and a half furlongs.
TOONA CILIATA faces six runners, three being his stablemates – BRUCE WAYNE, GRAYDON and PRINCE CHARLES – sandwiching the field completed by PATRIARCH, CHACE THE GREAT and SUPERLUMINAL.
Despite being burdened with a topweight of 130lb, TOONA CILIATA should be comfortable at six and a half furlongs, especially with stablemates GRAYDON and PRINCE CHARLES coming in at approximately 106 and 115lb, respectively, joining CHACE THE GREAT, to ensure PATRIARCH is kept honest for the first half-mile.
EXTENDED WINNING STREAK
Since claimed from Anthony Nunes by Fitzgerald Richards for $1 million on January 4, five-year-old PATRIARCH has extended his win streak to four consecutive victories, two on the trot for his new barn, the last being a rare but impressive victory on the round course, at five furlongs, beating former stablemate PRINCE CHARLES.
However, PATRIARCH returning off a four-month COVID-19 lay-up at six and a half furlongs, the farthest he has run in more than a year, appears too much an ask with a Nunes relay being anchored by TOONA CILIATA.
Ian Parsard’s SUPERLUMINAL is one of the gamest horses in training but, already not a boy’s ride, it certainly won’t be an enjoyable one for a girl, female apprentice Tamika Lawrence, with no whip declared.
Former Sprint champion, CHACE THE GREAT, drew on his back class last time out to beat overnight allowance company, hanging on at five and a half furlongs to beat UNCLE FRANK after shaking loose of an off-colour GOD OF LOVE.
Though he looked in good nick and will carry 116lb, CHACE THE GREAT is stepping up in class and won’t be able to bide his time unmolested in mid-pack as he did when pouncing on a declining MR UNIVERSE on June 20.
TOONA CILIATA’s stablemates will ensure no ‘outsider’ gets to settle on the lead, paving the way for Dane Nelson to pounce with the four-year-old gelding, who clocked a bullet 1:13.3 for six furlongs last Sunday morning, putting away PRINCESS AVA.