Victorian invader Profiteer dominates betting for Inglis Millenium at Randwick on Saturday

Trainer Mick Price has confidence in brilliant colt Profiteer’s ability to immediately adapt to the Sydney way of going in the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Profiteer created a huge impression on debut last month winning down the Flemington straight by nearly three lengths in fast time.

The boom Melbourne colt is the $2 favourite for the rich Inglis Millennium despite his lack of exposure racing the clockwise direction.

Hugh Bowman guides Profiteer to victory in a recent Rosehill barrier trial.Source:Getty Images

But Price said Profiteer has been given experience galloping the Sydney way at Caulfield trackwork and it showed when the speedy two-year-old railed brilliantly under race jockey Hugh Bowman to win a Rosehill barrier trial last week.

“We had the opportunity to give him some practice the Sydney way on the inside grass (at Caulfield),’’ Price revealed.

“It encourages them to lead on their correct leg and he had four or five goes. It taught him well.

“The inside track where he trialled at Rosehill is quite tight but I thought he ‘whizzed’ around it pretty good.’’

Price flew to Sydney on Monday evening and will be trackside when Profiteer has a crucial gallop at Rosehill on Tuesday morning prior to the announcement of the final field of 14 and barrier draw.

TAB Fixed Odds spokesman Andrew Georgiou said Profiteer’s lofty ranking as clear Millennium favourite ahead of unbeaten Golden Gift winner Sneaky Five at $6 hinges on the barrier draw outcome.

“You don’t want to draw the ‘car park’ in a capacity field over the Randwick 1100m,’’ Georgiou said.

Caulfield Guineas winner Ole Kirk could return to racing on Saturday.Source:Getty Images

“If Profiteer draws wide out and Sneaky Five starts near the rails then they will become much closer in the market. The two Victorian two-year-olds do dominate the betting.’’

The Randwick meeting has attracted a bumper 165 entries including Team Hawkes’s outstanding three-year-olds Ole Kirk and North Pacific.

Ole Kirk, the dual Group 1 winner who was scratched from the Expressway Stakes last Saturday due the rain-affected track, has been entered for the $1 million Inglis 3yo Sprint (1200m) and Group 3 $160,000 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m).

With stablemate North Pacific also nominated for both races, it gives the Hawkes stable the option of splitting their gifted colts and avoiding an early, unnecessary carnival clash.

Also among the Hawkes stable’s Randwick entries are Mount Popa and Masked Crusader. The promising duo were also race morning scratchings from Rosehill because of the soft track.

Masked Crusader has been entered for a Benchmark 94 Handicap (1000m) alongside his stablemate, the very talented filly Written Beauty, a runaway barrier trial winner at Warwick Farm on Monday.

Mugatoo working at Moonee Valley during the spring.Source:Getty Images

Super stayer nears return

Mugatoo, the outstanding Kris Lees-trained import who won the Newcastle Gold Cup and ran fourth to Sir Dragonet in the Cox Plate last start, moves closer to a race return with a barrier trial hitout at Wyong on Tuesday morning. Kim Waugh’s Sydney Stakes winner Trumbull is contesting a separate heat.

Meanwhile, Sir Dragonet is among 20 nominations for the first Group 1 race of 2021, the $500,000 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Originally published asBoom Victorian ready to cash in at Randwick

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