Piranha set out on heavy duty mission
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday September 14, 2009
STRADBROKE Handicap winner Black Piranha will begin its spring campaign lumping top weight of 60 kilograms in Wednesday's Cameron Handicap at Newcastle.The Con Karakatsanis-trained Black Piranha was placed in the George Ryder Stakes and Doncaster Mile, both at group 1 level, in Sydney in the autumn, before heading to Brisbane for a second in the Doomben 10,000 and then snaring a major success in the Stradbroke.Black Piranha has had two barrier trials to prepare for the Cameron return in which Tye Angland retains the ride.Trainer Gerald Ryan, fresh from a treble at Rosehill at the weekend, will start Ahdashim in the Cameron with Stathi Katsidis making the trip from Queensland to ride it and stablemate Hus Der Lieften, which will start favourite in the Spring Stakes on Wednesday.Ryan made a late change of plan to start Hus Der Lieften in the Spring Stakes after originally planning on running the Golden Rose fourth placegetter in the Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday."I had him in the nominations for the Spring Stakes then I thought I'd go to the Gloaming instead so took him out of the Newcastle race," Ryan said. "But when they extended the nominations for Newcastle I threw him back in in case I had second thoughts. He'll start there now."With Hus Der Lieften's Golden Rose jockey Corey Brown suspended and Nash Rawiller, who won on the colt three starts back, unavailable for the ride, Ryan elected to also put Katsidis on the Spring Champion Stakes-bound colt. Brown will be back aboard for the group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick next month.Newcastle trainer Kris Lees will have a two-pronged attack on the Cameron Handicap with Absolutelyfabulous (Robert Thompson) and Pins On Parade (Chris Munce) in the $150,000 group 3 race.Lees said the racing future of group 1-placed mare Fritz's Princess was in jeopardy after she pulled up sore when last behind Hot Danish in the Research Stakes at the weekend.Veterinary tests will decide whether Fritz's Princess races on or heads to stud.Meanwhile, Chris Waller will start Enzedex Eagle and Strike One in Thursday's Newcastle Cup. Jeff Penza will ride Strike One while either Rawiller or Hugh Bowman will steer Enzedex Eagle.Glyn Schofield has been booked to ride the Murray and Bjorn Baker-trained Mountain Road in the Newcastle Cup, a race that has Wyong Cup first and second placegetters Mr Clangtastic and Lodge The Deeds among nominations.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
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