Essential Spice Hot For Beaufine Win.
A sound first-up run leaves Dan Pearce confident Essential Spice can measure up in the Listed Beaufine Stakes (1000m) at Belmont on Saturday.
Returning from a six month break and lumping 58kg, Essential Spice lost no admirers after running a nose second to Flow in a head-bobbing finish.
Essential Spice drops to 54kg in the Beaufine Stakes and in a race that is littered with speed, the speedy mare has drawn ideally in barrier four.
William Pike stays on Essential Spice in a bid to win his third Beaufine Stakes after booting home Megem’s Boy (2012) and Military Reign (2016).
Pearce, who co-trains with his brother, Ben, said race conditions will suit Essential Spice in the Beaufine Stakes and he’s looking forward to a bold run.
“I thought her first-up run was good, head up, head down she wins,” Pearce said on Tabradio.
“The horse went super and has come through it really well.
“She will go into Saturday not missing a beat.
“She’ll be off that hot speed in the ruck looking for gaps.
“It all looks good and from our point of view we couldn’t be happier with the horse.”
The Beaufine Stakes is Essential Spice’s second crack at a stakes race. In January she finished third behind glamour mare Fabergino in the Summer Scorcher (1000m).
Punters have rallied behind Essential Spice to claim her maiden feature race.
She has firmed from $3.80 into $3 favouritism, displacing Misty Metal, who opened at $3.10 on Wednesday, but has drifted out to $4.
The Pearce brothers hold high hopes of landing a Belmont double with Roman Flirt the market leader in the Belmont Park Book A Day Handicap (2000m).
The in-form mare won four straight races before a brave third at her previous start when she endured a hard run racing wide throughout and working.
“It was a hard watch, but the horse is going really well,” Pearce said.
“I don’t think she lost any admirers, she was entitled to give it in
“Unfortunately she has drawn an average barrier again, but there doesn’t appear to be a huge amount of speed in the race.
“I would say Willie (Pike) will be rolling forward and taking it out of the equation.
“It surprised me how well she came through that run with the work she had to do.
“We are excited about tomorrow (Saturday).
Roman Flirt has dawn barrier 17. She is $2.30 with the TAB.
Pike, who rode Roman Flirt to her four previous wins, reclaims the mount.
Julio Santarelli