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In-form speedsters clash in relocated Listed sprint

A small but select field, including a couple of brilliant last-start winners, will contest the Listed – and relocated – Furphy Stakes (registered as the Hills Railway Stakes) at Morphettville Parks on Saturday.

Due to COVIT-19 conditions, the race has been transferred from Oakbank to the city venue, with the race distance reduced from 1100m to 1000m.

Early favourite Bella Vella was at her blistering best at Moonee Valley last start, smashing the clock to take out the final 55-Second Challenge race (955m) in 54.84 seconds. Will Clarken’s flying five-year-old made a good thing of the series, as she already held the season’s previous best time of 55.10 seconds, set in October.

Bella Vella’s opposition includes Phillip Stokes-trained mare Equal Love, which beat a quality field – including Li’l Kontra and Tequila Time – fair and square over this course a fortnight ago and has a handy drop in weight for Saturday’s assignment.

Bold Star heads the weights and handicap ratings for the Furphy Stakes, coming off a solid eighth in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield behind Pippie on February 22. The Gordon Richards-trained sprinter ran home hard on the leader-biased track, passing about half the field, and is being aimed at the Group 1 Furphy Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 16.

In-form jockey Jason Holder takes the ride on the speedy Tavisan, which goes into the race first up since November. At his last start, Tavisan led a quality field – including noted speedster Runson – in a $150,000 race over 1200m at Ballarat, before finishing eighth, heading the division that stuck near the rail.

The other main chance on paper appears to be Beauty, from the Tony and Calvin McEvoy yard. As warm favourite, Beauty finished a narrow second behind Ethical Solution over 1300m on March 21, following a solid fifth in the Listed Matrice Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on March 9, and a convincing win at Morphettville Parks over 1250m in late February.

Selections:

  1. Bella Vella; 2. Bold Star; 3. Equal Love; 4. Tavisan.

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