Jockey Shaun McGruddy is quietly confident his successful partnership with Brave Spirit can continue and extend to a feature event double at Belmont this weekend.
Shaun Mcgruddy is unbeaten on Brave Spirit and reached an impressive third win on the Steve Wolfe-trained three-year-old in last fortnight’s Listed Raconteur Stakes (1400m).
Chasing breakaway leader Cool Memory, Brave Spirit charged home from eight position at the turn to hold out the fast-finishing The Boss Lady who came from last.
McGruddy and Brave Spirit team up again in Saturday’s $125,000 Listed Amelia Park-Belmont Guineas (1600m), a race McGruddy won with Creatrix in 2003.
McGruddy believes Brave Spirit is the right horse to give him a second Belmont Guineas success and Tab touch punters share his optimism and confidence.
The son of Brave Smash is the clear-cut $3.70 betting app market leader, in from $4.20 and ahead of The Boss Lady, who is $5.50 after she opened at $4.80.
“I think if the same horse turns up from the other day he’ll be very hard to beat again,” McGruddy said on Tab radio.
“You never know how much it takes out of them for the next start, we’ll find that out on Saturday.
“But, he’s worked well this week and I’m going in quietly confident.”
McGruddy says anticipated rain affected ground and 1600m for the first time won’t dampen Brave Spirit’s hopes of winning the Belmont Guineas.
The manner in which he handled the Raconteur Stakes on a soft 6 track and attacked the line strongly over 1400m gives him no cause for concern.
“He does like to get his toe in and even though his toes were spinning he was handling the softish track,” McGruddy said.
“Getting to Belmont at this time of the year has helped.
“The way he hit the line the other day, he ran right through the line, the mile shouldn’t be an issue.
“It was actually run like a mile with how hard they went; they were all really stretching out over 1400m.
“The sting out helps and the mile won’t be a problem I don’t think.”
McGruddy believes the Belmont Guineas could be a repeat of the Raconteur Stakes.
He says The Boss Lady rates as the hardest to beat.
“Definitely Michael Lane’s horse, The Boss Lady,” Lane said.
“It was the flashing light run coming from last.
“She took ground from me late and is definitely the one to beat.
“I also think Luvnwar because it beat the older horses last start from a wide gate.”
Chris Parnham rides The Boss Lady from barrier 16. Parnham and Lane won last year’s Belmont Guineas with Rusty Dreams.
Brave Spirit jumps from gate eight and Luvnwar has barrier three with Pat Carbery to ride.
The filly is on the third line of betting at $6.