John Thompson will have one runner in the Group One George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill but he reckons his stable can produce the trifecta.
Thompson will saddle up Dreamforce in Saturday’s feature but can also lay some claim to two key rivals.
The Randwick conditioner is hosting the Te Akau Racing team of horses for New Zealand trainer Jamie Richards, along with Melbourne trainer Anthony Freedman‘s Sydney carnival string.
As luck has it, Dreamforce will face off against two of his temporary stablemates – the Richards-trained Te Akau Shark and Super Seth for Freedman.
“Te Akau and Super Seth are in the same barn. They’re across from each other and eye-balling each other,” Thompson said.
“Because Jamie isn’t over here much I clock his horses for him and Te Akau is spot-on. He looks a treat and he is probably the one to beat.
“Super Seth was a bit crook there for 24 hours but he seemed to bounce back quick and he looks terrific now.
“Personally, I reckon my stable will run the trifecta.”
Dreamforce finished third behind Winx and Brutal in the corresponding race last year, going on to beat all but Brutal in the Doncaster Mile.
This preparation, Thompson experimented by taking blinkers off for the horse’s first-up run when second to Alizee in the Apollo Stakes (1400m).
He reapplied them in the Chipping Norton (1600m) in which Dreamforce finished a tiring eighth to Te Akau Shark and Thompson learned a valuable lesson.
“With the blinkers on he went a little bit fierce and he just doesn’t run out a strong mile with them on,” he said.
“In future, if he runs over a mile they will come off but he’s back to 1500 so we will leave them on this week.”
Nash Rawiller missed the Chipping Norton through suspension but reunites with Dreamforce at Rosehill.
Beyond even money favourite Te Akau Shark, the race is an open betting affair with half of the remaining eight runners at single-figure odds, including Dreamforce ($8.50).
Super Seth is also in commission at $5 after missing the Randwick Guineas because of an elevated temperature.
Along with Brandenburg and Spend, Super Seth will be attempting to become the first three-year-old winner of the George Ryder since Pierro seven years ago.