Warwick Farm Monday and Coyle is in the spirit for a public holiday winner

Jason Coyle is hoping 2020/21 Premiership front-runner James McDonald can coax a long overdue win out of Sydney’s best credentialed Class 1 horse, St Covet’s Spirit, in Monday’s ATC Blue Point Handicap (1400m).

St Covet’s Spirit’s one and only win of her 23 start career dates back to September 11 in 2019.

Since that time however, Coyle’s grey has lined-up against the cream of Australasian horses including the likes of Probabeel, Funstar, Golden Rose runner-up Icebath, ATC Derby favourite Sky Lab and the likely 2021 Everest contender, Lost And Running.

Despite her current status as a ‘midweek maiden winner’ St Covet’s Spirit’s C.V boasts a second in the Hawkesbury Guineas, third in the James H B Carr Stakes as well as a distant fourth in the Group 1 ATC Flight Stakes.

‘’When you’re leading the Premiership and winning stakes races everywhere, it’s obviously hard to get James on,’’ Coyle said.

“His manager does a good job of picking the rides that he thinks are going to be competitive and it’s nice when he accepts a ride like St Covet’s Spirit. I think we found the right race for her.’’

St Covet’s Spirit has won a tick over $200,000 but every cent she earns from here on will go towards paying for the yet to be determined stallion’s service fee this spring.

‘’She has been a good money spinner and is a stakes-placed mare,’’ Coyle pointed out. “She will more than likely go to stud this year so whatever she does from here on in is a bonus, hopefully she can chalk up a few well deserved wins.’’

Wins have been few and far between for Coyle’s seven-year-old gelding Salsonic whose tally stands at just three from 48.

That said, Salsonic has banked almost $470,000 off an original $25,000 purchase price at the 2015 Classic Yearling Sale.

Salsonic, it seems, needs three things to win; a good track, a fast tempo and Hugh Bowman on his back.

Bowman has steered the son of Hinchinbrook to two of his three wins notably the 2017 Group 3 BRC Queensland Guineas (1600m).

‘’Right jockey bit I don’t know if we are going to get a surface that is going to suit him at all. His wet track is just horrible,’’ Coyle warned.

“He has come back in really good order, it’s just finding the right surface for him now.’’

Whereas Salsonic and St Covet’s Spirit are in the twilight of their respective careers, Monday marks the beginning for Air Of Alsace who wouldn’t look out of place lining up at Longchamp or Chantilly.

A grand-daughter of High Chaparral, Air Of Alsace’s dam is by Sinndar who won the English and Irish Derby’s as well as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Air Of Alsace’s grand-dam is River Dancer who placed in the French 1000 Guineas and Prix Morny.

‘’I really like her,’’ Coyle says. “She is probably still a preparation away but I have had positive reports about her from Kathy (O’Hara) who has trialled her a couple of times.

‘’She might develop into quite a nice filly.’’

Originally published asCoyle banking on McDonald at the Farm on Monday

Source: Read Full Article