Richard and Chantelle Jolly will chase a second Flemington feature in four days when Alleboom tackles Tuesday’s $135,000 Scheppervescence Plate (1000m).
The training duo scratched the horse from Morphettville on Saturday and will be hoping to again grab Flemington success in combination with Craig Williams after winning a second successive TAB Stakes on Saturday with smart sprinter Kemalpasa.
Alleboom showed brilliant speed at Morphettville two starts back when he blitzed rivals to win by 5.5 lengths. Sitting off the speed and chasing home Extra Time last time, Jolly said the horse should thrive back in distance and up the straight.
“He’s a runner and he’s drawn in the right part of the track,’’ Richard Jolly said.
“He’s obviously coming off a disappointing run but I think dropping back to the 1000m should really suit.
“It wasn’t always the plan to go there but the race isn’t a super strong one on paper and if he can run in the top three we’d be rapt,’’ he said.
He’s currently a $3.70 second favourite with tab.com.au behind the Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes-trained Hard Landing.
Jolly said Kemalpasa had come through his Group 2 win in perfect order but the lack of options and travelling to Perth for the $1m Winterbottom Stakes has halted those plans.
“Perth was an option but it appears there won’t be any flights for him,’’ Jolly said.
“Talking to those involved there is unlikely to be a flight from Melbourne to Perth due to COVID, there is one leaving from Sydney tonight (Monday), he’s obviously not getting on that. While there is some chance there might be another from Sydney later, I’m not keen on the idea of floating to Sydney and then catching a flight to Perth.
“So the Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Sandown is an option and then we might have a freshen up and head back to the Gold Coast,’’ he said.
Meanwhile Murray Bridge horseman Michael Hickmott also heads to Melbourne to saddle up lightly-raced three-year-old filly Echoes In Eternity in the same race as Alleboom.
She caught the eye on debut when narrowly beaten behind Tradewind at Morphettville and is marked a $9 chance with Cox Plate winning jockey Glen Boss taking the ride.
Like the Jolly’s with Alleboom, Hickmott opted to bypass Saturday’s Morphettville meeting and head to Flemington with in-form stablemate Aqueduct. The horse was favourite for the $100,000 Listed John Letts Cup over 1800m after winning his first three starts on SA solid before a game effort behind Winning Partner in the Murray Bridge Cup.
He’s marked an $11 chance in the Grinders Coffee Roasters Trophy over the 1400m trip, a race that also features three runners from the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable.
Fox Hall heads to Melbourne after a very good return to form back in trip at Morphettville last time around, former smart NT galloper Savatoxl wears winkers for the first time after he was heavily backed at Caulfield last time out. Their best chance in the race may be with The Difference who is coming off an impressive last start Morphettville win and has gained a start following two scratchings.