Reserve Bank ‘going super’ ahead of return in Inglis Sprint at Flemington

Trainer Michael Kent Jr cannot fault equal favourite Reserve Bank who will seek to protect his perfect first-up record in the $1m Inglis Sprint at Flemington on Saturday.

Trainer Michael Kent Jr cannot fault equal favourite Reserve Bank going into the rich $1m Inglis Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Reserve Bank, who boasts a perfect first-up record (2-2), has enjoyed a “perfect preparation” towards the target race.

“He’s going super,” Kent Jr said.

“Already shown talent at a pretty high level, we feel he has come back a touch better as well.

“He’s had a perfect preparation and when you try and aim a horse at a target race you can’t afford anything to go wrong and it hasn’t, it’s been very smooth, very sharp.”

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Reserve Bank, touched off in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes at Flemington second-up last campaign, has drawn the grandstand side of the straight, widest of 19 on Saturday.

“I don’t think is a bad thing down the straight,” Kent Jr said.

“It will be the charge of the light brigade down the straight, 19 runners, you need to be in the right part of the straight and need luck on your side.

“But from a trainer’s point of view Reserve Bank is going super.”

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Reserve Bank is a $4.80 favourite with Gatsby’s for the Inglis Sprint.

Chris Waller-trained Gatsby’s, however, is slated to gallop at Flemington on Friday with an eye on the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) on March 8.

Kent Jr said Reserve Bank could warrant Group 1 ambitions with a strong performance on Saturday.

“He’s got options anywhere, he can go to Sydney for some of the feature sprints up there,” Kent Jr said.

“He’s still an entire so naturally we’ll have an eye on some of the Group 1 sprints if he gives us that feeling, he’s a good, good looking, big striding, sprinting colt that’s really going well.”

Reserve Bank (right) finishing second to First Settler in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes last spring. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

Kent Jr, who trains in partnership with Mick Price, has six starters at Flemington on Saturday including untapped Pivot City and Angland.

Pivot City is an $11 chance in the 1200m Benchmark 78.

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“The new improved gelded version of Pivot City, I think you’ll see a really good version of him,” Kent Jr said.

“He’s always been a bit of a trial star and could always gallop, won on debut by five lengths, but he just wanted gelding, he’s already got to a nice level but I think as a gelding we’ll see a nice horse this preparation.

“Whether the straight is exactly right, we tried the straight twice before but I reckon it could work out, if he can smothered up and get to the right part of the track he’ll let rip late.”

Angland has drawn awkwardly, barrier 15, in the 1400m Benchmark 84.

“He’s a very big raw horse, he’s improved again and is going fantastic, class wise he can win, I just feel he could be a little vulnerable from that gate,” Kent Jr said.

“If he’d drawn a gate I’d be more confident, but what do you do?

“He’s a natural roll forward horse but we’ll have a look at the speed map … if he doesn’t get in or has to work hard he could be vulnerable late, he’s a nice horse worth following.”