Nash Rawiller reunites with Here To Shock for Group 1 Canterbury Stakes at Randwick
Here To Shock will need to go to another level to win the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes but there is one jockey who could pull it off.
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Lindsay Park knows Here To Shock will have to go to another level to win Saturday’s Group 1 $750,000 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) but a reliable source can help them complete the heist at Royal Randwick.
Here To Shock ($7) will reconnect with star jockey Nash Rawiller as he attempts to snare consecutive Group 1 wins.
Rawiller and Here To Shock have proven to be a dynamic duo over the past six months with three feature wins from four starts together.
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The former Sydney premiership winning hoop has played a pivotal role in Here To Shock’s upward trajectory since scoring the Group 3 Cameron Handicap at Newcastle on his first ride on the gelding last September.
A win in the $1.5m Alan Brown followed before Here To Shock finished midfield in the Big Dance with a hefty 62kg on his back.
While Rawiller wasn’t aboard for Here To Shock’s triumph in the $1m Supernova in December, he was back on deck for his biggest triumph to date.
The pair jetted across the Tasman last month to score an impressive victory in the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa and will attempt to snare another major on Saturday.
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“He seems to find a couple of lengths for Nash, which is very good,” co-trainer JD Hayes said.
“He is a Group 1 winner last start, you can’t take that away from him.
“He has trialled super, worked good on Wednesday morning and is ultra-consistent.
“This Saturday he faces very good opposition so he has to go up another level obviously but he is a consistent horse that puts himself right there so we will see how we go.”
It could be a massive day across Australia and New Zealand for Ben, Will and JD Hayes but snaring a victory in the Group 2 $300,000 Todman Stakes (1200m) could perhaps be the most significant.
The Victorian stable will bring $5m Golden Slipper candidate Tycoon Star to Sydney for the two-year-old feature as he attempts to stamp his claim on Australia’s most important breed shaping race.
Tycoon Star produced the flashing light run of the Group 1 Blue Diamond last start where he was dragged back from a wide gate and flashed home for third behind Devil Night.
“It was a huge run in the Diamond, absolutely massive,” Hayes said.
“He had to go back and he was the eye catcher out of the race and has trained on beautifully since then.
“We have to see where he is at in terms of Slipper prospects so why not.
“There was the small consideration of staying in Melbourne for the Sires if it was going to be a bottomless track.”
Lindsay Park’s best galloper and one of Australia’s top campaigners Mr Brightside ($2.40 favourite) will lead a two-pronged attack in the Group 1 $2.5m All Star Mile (1600m).
Mr Brightside celebrated his ninth career Group 1 with a tough effort in the CF Orr Stakes last start and is joined by progressive stablemate Rise At Dawn ($16) in the All Star Mile.
Rise At Dawn comes into the All Star Mile on a four-run winning streak.
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“They are probably at the opposite ends of their careers,” Hayes said.
“Rise At Dawn has really burst onto the scene and Mr Brightside is just a champion, there is no doubt about it.
“We are very happy with the two of them going into the race and the barriers, so hopefully it shapes up nicely for them.”
Hayes won’t be in Sydney or Melbourne on Saturday.
He is on duty in New Zealand where talented three-year-old Evaporate is the horse to beat in the $2.30 favourite in the $3.5m Kiwi (1500m)
“Evaporate has settled super over in New Zealand so we are looking forward to it,” he said.
Victorian-based jockey Michael Dee will make the trip across the Tasman to pilot Evaporate in the inaugural Kiwi.
Originally published as Nash Rawiller reunites with Here To Shock for Group 1 Canterbury Stakes at Randwick
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