Speedy six-year-old Am Opulent was a rank outsider at $108.40 when a distant 11th behind Nike Franco in the group 1 Westral Mares Classic on Sunday afternoon, but she will be at a far shorter price when she contests the $25,000 De Jong Hoists Coulson final for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred mare, prepared by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, will appreciate a considerable drop in class and Ryan Warwick is expected to use Am Opulent’s sparkling gate speed in a bid to get to an early lead and then set the pace in the 2130m feature event.
She was favourite at 6/4 two starts ago when she mustered abundant early pace from the No. 6 barrier and swept to the front after 400m before dictating terms in front and winning by a length from Maggies Mystery at a 1.57.8 rate over 2130m last Friday night. A week before that Am Opulent was a $104.10 outsider when she was restrained from a wide barrier, broke early and did not show up when tenth behind Leda McNally in the Norms Daughter Classic.
Though Am Opulent has won only once from her past 15 starts, she looks one of the main chances in Friday night’s event in which her chief rivals appear to be stablemate and polemarker Millwood Faith, Kiralin (No. 2 barrier), Sovereign Faith and Maggies Mystery.
Millwood Faith has a losing sequence of 16, but she has sound prospects, either leading or sitting behind the pacemaker for reinsman Colin Brown.
Kiralin, trained and driven by Justin Prentice, is a smart frontrunner who could seriously challenge Millwood Faith and Am Opulent for the early lead. She was an all-the-way winner at Pinjarra three starts ago after working hard in the breeze and winning at Bunbury and Gloucester Park at her two previous outings.
Sovereign Faith, to be driven by Nathan Turvey for Mt Helena trainer Ray Williams, is well worth considering. Her effort in finishing on gamely from 11th at the bell to be sixth behind Nike Franco on Sunday was highly commendable. She has the ability to overcome the wide barrier (No. 8).
- Fields for Gloucester Park, Friday 18 December 2015
- Form guide for Gloucester Park, Friday 18 December 2015