Rapid Grey Clear Favorite in Coalminer

The feature race this weekend here in Victoria is the Coalminer Cup (G1) going off as the fifteenth race on Saturday’s racing card. The historic race is run over a mile and one half over the turf and is open to all horses three years old and up with a purse up for grabs of $1,500,000. The race made its debut in 2000 when the immortal Joe Cayenne, owned by rbgstable won the inaugural running of the Coalminer Cup (G1). The current stakes record for the Coalminer Cup (G1) was attained just last year when the buffy5 trained Max California won the Coalminer Cup (G1) by a nose in 2:28 4/5. Though this year’s race has drawn a moderate field of ten horses, it is sure to be an exciting race that goes off on Saturday afternoon. They sun has been partiality hidden for most of the week and it will continue to be so on Saturday as the ten horses load into the gate. Despite the cloudy conditions, there will be no threat of rain this weekend as temperatures average around 60 or 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Lightninginabottle – (Seeking The Gold x Kris S. x Nureyev) – super21 – R. Bailey – 7/1

On the rail for the Coalminer Cup (G1) will be this four-year-old chestnut colt under the black, red and white silks of the More Evil Than The Evil Empire stable group. The flashy chestnut colt has made twenty-two career starts with six wins, all over the turf. His most recent start came in August overseas in Vermont during the twelve furlong May Trail (GB) Stakes where the colt finished second after being wore down in the stretch of the race. The colt will be returning to graded stakes for the first time since his dismal run in the Owner’s Stakes (G1) as a three-year-old where he finished twenty-four and a half lengths off the pace in tenth. It should be interesting to see how the colt handles a jump up in class during this race. Look for this chestnut colt to be out of the gates fast and probably up on the lead showing the field the way throughout the race as he hopes to be able to hold on when it comes down to the stretch.

2. Pappadeaux – (El Prado (IRE) x Sharpen Up (GB) x Grey Dawn II) – texasace08 – Bi. Clark – 10/1

In the second hole we will have the striking light gray filly of Lone Star Racing under their signature red, white and blue silks. The light gray filly of eleven starts, is one of two fillies Saturdays race and is the top ladies’ pick of the race. Her most recent start came in Queensland last August during the Brisbane Distaff (G1) over twelve furlongs. The mare finished eight and three-fourth lengths off the pace in this race in sixth with a speed figure of ninety-eight. Look for the mare to be held back immediately out of the gates this weekend and to be running towards the rear of the field before she makes a move late in the stretch.

3. A Case In Point – (Point Given x Aptitude x Storm Cat) – tusnami4 – T. Myslinski – 99/1

Next we will have a 99/1 longshot in the race in this brown four-year-old out of the Tsunami stables. The Kentucky-bred filly has had fifty career starts in which she was won eight of these races. Seven of these wins have come over the turf for the bay daughter of Point Given. The filly’s most recent race came last month in North Korea during an eight and a half furlong allowance-caliber race where she won convincingly by two lengths with a speed figure of seventy-one. The filly’s last graded start came in the Queen Ascot Stakes (G1) where she took a beating, finishing twenty-eight and a half lengths back off the winner to finish tenth with a speed of seventy-two. We can probably look for this filly to be sent out of the gate in mid pack and try to gain ground on the front runners as the race goes on.

4. Nattownsfinest – (Announce x Crusader Sword x Bold Reasoning) – buff620 – A. Snappa – 36/1

Following our way down the list of contenders we will have this four-year-old Louisana-bred colt from River Ridge Farms. The chestnut colt has been lightly raced with thirteen career starts and two wins, both of which have come over the turf track. The colt made his last start early last month overseas in New York during a twelve furlong allowance caliber race where the colt finished nine and a half lengths off the winner to manage to get up into the money in fourth with a speed figure of ninety-three. The colts last graded start came in August during the Sword Swallower Stakes (G1) over twelve furlongs where the colt finished thirty-five and a half lengths back in tenth. Look for this chestnut colt to probably go out to an early lean in the race, sitting just off the pace or possibly going on to challenge Lightninginabottle for the lead in the early goings of the race.

5. El Kursaal – (Unbridled’s Song x A.P. Indy x Night Shift) – layeguarda – N. Hartel – 7/1

In the middle post position at the center of the track we will have the striking roan four-year-old in the red and two-toned green silks of Rafa Stables. The roan four-year-old has had thirty-two lifetime starts with a total of five career wins, most of which have been over the turf track. The colt made his last start in Epsom last month during The Clock Is Ticking Handicap (G1) over fourteen furlongs on a good turf track. The colt, perhaps troubled slightly over the off-track conditions finished sixteen and three-fourth lengths off the pace in fourth with a speed figure of ninety-six. Look for the striking roan colt to be held in the middle of the pack out of the gate and be urged forward just before the stretch to try to get a jump on the front runners.

6. Alum Bay (IRE) – (High Chapaaral (IRE) x Kris S. Irish River (FR)) – super20 – S. Nightingale – 5/1

In the sixth slot we will have the second entry for the More Evil Than The Evil Empire group of stables in this four-year-old chestnut Irish-bred colt. The chestnut colt is out of the race-winning and multiple graded winning producing mare Jaded Lover and has a total of twenty-five lifetime starts. The colt made his last start early last month in an eleven furlong allowance caliber race in Queensland where he won impressively by three and one-fourth lengths with a speed figure of one hundred six. The colt made his last start in a graded stakes in his previous race, the Snuggl’ Up America Restricted where he finished twenty-five and three-fourths lengths off the pace in fifteenth. Look for the chestnut colt to be out of the gates and held towards the middle of the field, working his way up in position just before the stretch to try to make a run for the lead.

7. Winter Quest (ENG) – (Rainbow Quest x Deputy Minister x Storm Bird) – sinner – P. Lipps – 31/1

Continuing through the field we will have this three-year-old brown colt out of the Knightmare Stables. The English-bred brown colt is out of the graded-winning mare Winter Storm II. The colt has been lightly raced with only nine lifetime starts so far in his racing career. Four of these starts have ended in victory for the brown colt. His most recent race came in Athens last month over eleven furlongs in an allowance caliber race in which he won impressively by three lengths. His previous race, another allowance race over eleven furlongs, was won by two and three-fourths lengths. Very impressive lately, the colt has never made a graded start, but has made two listed stakes starts. He has never won a stakes, but finished in the money in the Prospect Fluster Handicap over twelve furlongs over a yielding turf track back in May. Look for this colt to be out of the gate and to be setting just off the pace in third or fourth waiting to make his bid on the lead in the stretch.

8. Rapid Grey – (Tactical Cat x With Approval x Bold Ruckus) – champions4 – D. Evans – 9/5

In the eighth gate we will have the morning-line favorite going into the gate. The favorite of the race is also the oldest entered into this years Coalminer Cup (G1) at six years of age, through lightly raced with just thirty-nine lifetime starts. Twenty of these races have been wins, giving the colt a total in career earnings of $8,783,836. The horse made his last start in August during the Windy City Turf Classic (G1) over ten furlongs where the colt finished three and one-fourth lengths off the pace in fourth, coming off a win in the King Geoff and Queen Beth’s Emerald Stakes (G1) in Ascot. Look for the six-year-old light gray veteran to be held far off the pace out of the gate and in all likelihood to be one of the horses trailing the field in the early furlongs of the race before he takes off like a rocket in the final stakes of the race and attempts to reel in the tiring leaders.

9. Portman’s Perfect – (Pleasantly Perfect x Sadler’s Wells x Irish River (FR)) – nijinsky4 – J. Kohlmorgen – 6/1

Working our way towards the grandstand side of the track we have this three-year-old Kentucky-bred chestnut colt, who is out of the graded winning mare N. Portman in gate nine. The chestnut colt has been lightly raced with ten career starts, of which half of these races have ended in wins for the son of Pleasantly Perfect. The chestnut made his last start in August during the Owner’s Stakes (G1) in Ontario. The colt finished four lengths off the pace in third in the race, ending with a speed figure of one hundred seven. Pervious the this, the colt achieved back to back victories in the Derby de English (G1) and the Sydney Derby (G1), the latter of which was held over a yielding turf track this year. Look for this colt to be held slightly off the pace out of the gate, sitting back possibly around third until he makes his move just before the stretch to try to catch the leaders by surprise.

10. Empire Starter (ENG) – (Rainbow Quest x River Of Kings (IRE) x Blakeney (GB)) – snappa – M. Zerr – 5/1

In the tenth hole we will have our last horse being loaded in the Coalminer Stakes, this four-year-old colt out of Snappa Racing Syndicate with its trademark two-toned blue silks. The English-bred chestnut colt made his last start in the Clock Is Ticking Handicap over good turf last month in Epsom where the colt finished third, through a good ten and a half lengths off the pace of the winner in the race, despite coming home with a speed figure of one hundred. Though coming out of the far grandstand side post position, look for the chestnut colt to be out of the gate and running in the middle of the pack as he tries to make a rally late in the race and try to go on for a win for the first time since May.

Tellnotale’s Picks
Win: Rapid Grey
Place: Portman’s Perfect
Show: Winter Quest (ENG)

To all with runners in the Coalminer Stakes (G1) this weekend, good luck. This is tellnotale signing off.