Pure talent gives Thompson a shot at double delight
Pure talent gives Thompson a shot at double delight
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By Neil Evans
Evergreen Randwick trainer John Thompson is eyeing a value-packed race-to-race double to close out Thursday’s feature provincial meeting at Kembla.
In two very open Benchmark 64 Handicaps over 1200m and the mile, the Thompson yard looks well placed at good odds with one resuming, and a stablemate on her fourth run this campaign.
And he’s banking on it kick-starting not just a big final week of the season, but a change in fortune after just one winner – a country class 3 success on Sunday – since landing a double at Wyong on July 4.
Thompson resumes his talented three-year-old gelding Pure Hydrogen in an open BM 64 sprint.
The son of group 1 winner Exosphere hasn’t started since rocketing home from last into third place in a similar graded race at this track in early March.
That topped off a five-race spell in which Pure Hydrogen made good progress, sweeping home to win his maiden at Goulburn before blitzing a class 1 at Canberra two starts later.
Still, with only nine runs under his belt, Pure Hydrogen is being asked to fire fresh before he turns four, and all things being equal, sets his sights on a bigger Saturday target.
Around $7.50 early in a wide affair with only four runners quoted under $10, Pure Hydrogen will likely settle well back from a middle draw and look to sweep home down the middle of the longer Kembla straight.
A similar recipe is on the table for honest four-year-old stablemate mare Silk Tie, who looks to peak fourth-up this prep in the closing BM 64 Handicap over 1600m.
An early equal $5.50 shot in another open betting race, Silk Tie drops back from deeper metropolitan company where she ran home well to beat all bar short-priced favourite Epicus at Canterbury.
She now returns to provincial company on a suitably bigger track, and is ready to show her best and claim a fourth career win at her 17th start.
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
