Sun State Cup
Sun State Cup
Grade I
One mile
Firm Turf
$500,000
Fillies and mares, 3 years old
1 93617 GOLD SQUALL paseana92 M Radke 7/1
2 50539 ZASPIRIT(NZ) springapp C Pearce 34/1
3 79485 EIGHTTHEHARDWAY alybobbob2 P Ingram 8/1
4 3320 WE CAN SEE kingcugat J Jones 31/1
5 24251 SEMELE phillyfarm A Epps 17/1
6 94952 COLD STORAGE springtime C Wyatt 5/1
7 94457 SOTTO VOCE sgtbones S DeBerg 11/1
8 7361 ALBERTA GOLD bertaal T Phillips 10/1
9 93990 THIRTEENTH DATE congie5 T Brett 11/1
10 75530 STORM INDICATION tigerman V Hull 16/1
11 12549 SLY GO LIGHTLY(IRE) oberon Y Carpenter 9/2
12 93777 COMPENSATION lenny12 Z Purton 8/1
13 80019 CANIS DIRUS tigerman T Cox 12/1
14 95004 MS DIXIELAND bigears P Jeter 10/1
Hello and welcome to Queensland where we have a full field of fourteen for todays feature the Grade I SUN STATE CUP run over a mile on the turf course and open exclusively to the ladies.
We have an interesting split today with four or five with live chances, five with an outside chance and four with little chance.
The favourite on the morning line is SLY GO LIGHTLY(IRE) a daughter of Sligo Bay who has run some really nice races recently in Graded company. She looked to be colsing to some effect in her latest second over 9f and although she has run well at a mile it’s not been at this level. In fact her last Grade I over a mile produced a disapointing 98 speed figure. She’ll run her race but could find one or two too fast today. COLD STORAGE is another who has been running really well in 9f Graded races but again does not look as good dropped to a mile. She races near the front and if she’s not taken off her feet should make the frame. GOLD SQUALL has been running mainly over sprint distances and looked good in closing over 7.5f latest in a stakes race. This is a step up in class but not as much as it might have been as this is a lesser quality Grade I than usual. She likes to come from the back and with the other principles prefering further she coudl sneak the win. EIGHTTHEHARDWAY is hard to assess. She has put up some nice numbers over a mile in her last three starts but they have only been allowance races. However she’s clearly still improving and with the mile being somewhat of a specialist distance, she could hold on near the front and pinch the race or at least get in the money. COMPENSATION might just be that if your out of pocket from the earlier races- her last run can be discounted being her first in this grade over a route and she seems toi struggle when asked to go past the mile. However her previous run over a mile in a stakes was pretty decent as was her previous fourth in a grade II. Big chance at a decent price and good enough to make the frame if not winning.
Of those with an outside chance, MS DIXIELAND could easily reach the frame. She was running in sprints and has improved for each small rise in distance. Her last race produced a 103 in a nice grade III win and she looked to have more distance to run.. Expect a big run today. The other real live outsider is SOTTO VOCE despite a dismal run latest. Either she got hurt or more likely being by Kingmambo, found 10.5f too far. Her previous runs in grade II’s over the mile produced some sparkling runs and if at that level today, she would be a real threat. Another with place prospects.
Both ALBERTA GOLD and THIRTEENTH DATE look like stakes horses- the latters last graded win coming in an owners resticted which lessens it’s value.
The remainder are either no better than stakes runners or are sprinters going too far, although SEMELE has some decent sprints and being by Bahri should get the mile. She’s the most dangerous outsider and may sneak some money.
Prediction-
1/ COMPENSATION 2/ MS DIXIELAND 3/ GOLD SQUALL