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A long range plan for Keepit To Yourself to make December's Villiers Stakes will begin with a familiar theme for brothers Jim and Greg Lee at Randwick on Saturday. "He's having his first run and he hasn't had a trial, but I think he might race better that way," Greg Lee said of the six-year-old, an entry for the third race at Randwick on Saturday. "We did it with his brother Keepin' The Dream [when he was on the fresh side] and he won the Newmarket at Newcastle." Keepit To Yourself won the Winter Challenge last start, but the Lees are predicting a brighter summer campaign. "All he wants is a dry track," Greg said. "He can handle a heavy track and gets through it, but he's far better on a fast surface. And the form is standing up well with Forget."
VANDYKE ON EDGE
Warwick Farm trainer David Vandyke is bracing for a few nervous moments before barrier rise as he takes ex-New Zealander Cosmic Cube to the races in Australia for the first time. "Providing his barrier manners are good he should run a nice race," Vandyke said of the five-year-old, lining up in the Randwick fourth. "But we will be holding our breath as he nearly got scratched at the trials the other day because he played up a bit. He's had thee trials in Australia and his last trial - although it wasn't a great field - he certainly ran well and I think he can be competitive in this type of race." The horse is raced in the same interests at Keith's Legacy, which won a string of city races for Vandyke once crossing the Tasman.
JOE'S JET TAKING OFF
"Uncle Gerry" may have given Joe Cleary the favourite horse in his Queanbeyan stable, but sprinter-miler War Jet is the one the knockabout trainer is perhaps most excited about. "War Jet definitely deserves his crack in town and I'm super confident with his chances," Cleary said of the last race entrant at Randwick. "He's a good horse. I've been quite patient with him and took some advice off Blake Shinn who rode the horse when he was with Guy Walter. I took him through his grades nice and steady and his benchmark hasn't gotten away from him yet." Top country hoop John Kissick, who has a flawless record on the horse, has retained the ride. The Gerry Harvey-owned Wagga Gold Cup winner Landlocked will begin his Goulburn Cup assault when he resumes in the Randwick fourth. "He's basically got to go to town now and he's been great for me," Cleary said. "He'll definitely need the blowout though."
BIG SLIPPER NUMBERS
The Australian Turf Club has reported Golden Slipper first acceptors are up 17 per cent on last year with 1461 horses still in the mix for the world's richest two-year-old race. Godolphin has 156 babies still in Golden Slipper contention while Gai Waterhouse, who has won three of the last four renewals and equalled her legendary father Tommy Smith's record of six victories earlier this year, has 112 first acceptors. Snitzel (83) is the sire with the greatest representation among Golden Slipper hopefuls from Fastnet Rock (77) and Sebring (61). First season sires Smart Missile (59), Foxwedge (49) and Sepoy (42) are also gunning to make a mark with early runners.
