Racing: Fight brewing in race for top juvenile

By MICHAEL GUERIN

Colin De Filippi is spoiling for a fight at Addington on Friday night.

De Filippi will drive Sly Flyin in the most crucial juvenile race of the season, the $150,000 Sires' Stakes Final.

The giant stake aside, the 1950m mobile will determine who is voted Juvenile of the Year.

That battle is a three-horse race, with Jack Cade and Sly Flyin favourites and All Hart the only other contender for the title.

Jack Cade gained a major advantage for Friday night when he drew barrier two yesterday, as Sly Flyin was drawn to follow him out.

All Hart, the Juvenile Championship winner, will go from barrier seven.

While De Filippi admits a second line draw is not ideal, he says Sly Flyin is so tough it may not matter.

"I would have liked to have drawn the front line to out the pressure on from the start, but we can still beat Jack Cade," he said.

"The way the draws have worked out we may have to sit parked outside him but I won't be scared to do that. We can beat him sitting parked."

De Filippi's confidence has been fuelled by a freakish workout from Sly Flyin at Motukarara on Saturday.

The Bruce Negus-trained juvenile started from behind the mobile with two galloping pacemakers and De Filippi went into the workout hoping to pace around 2:45 for the 2200m, which would be a serious hitout around Motukarara.

Instead he was left shocked as Sly Flyin paced the 2200m mobile in 2:41.5, a second inside The Court Owl's national record.

The time will not be officially recognised but De Filippi says it is pretty accurate.

"We had four different people timing him and that is what we came up with. Either way, given a few tenths of a second, it is a hell of a good run."

Equally impressive for De Filippi was that Sly Flyin's manners were perfect compared with his earlier starts this season.

"His manners have improved 100 per cent and they won't be a concern on Friday night.

"I don't think there is much between them, and maybe Jack Cade is even a little bit faster, but I think Sly Flyin is tougher. He can really roll."

Trainer-driver Mark Purdon was thrilled with Jack Cade's draw, with the son of Il Vicolo showing enough gate speed when winning last Friday's $160,000 Sales Series Pace to suggest he will lead again this week.

But while Purdon believes Jack Cade may be a better horse coming with one run from a sit, De Filippi is warning him against trying that.

"I would love Mark to take a trail behind Sly Flyin because it would take a bloody good horse to come off his back and beat him."

A win by Sly Flyin would give his sire, Sands A Flyin, a good shot at a rare double with his daughter Sparks A Flyin drawn to win the Nevele R Fillies Final.

The fields for the two group one races at Addington on Friday night are.-

6 8.50: GARRARD'S SIRES' STAKES FINAL $150,000, 2yo mobile pace, 1950m.- Supreme Again (1), Misjudge (2), Jack Cade (3), Highview Atom (4), Hardly Matters (5), Punkrockablues (6), Playing With Fire (7), All Hart (8), Classical Fella (9), Elegant Dash (10), Tricky Vic (11), Sly Flyin (12), Franco Trubrooke (13), Croker (14), Jagged Account (15), Royal Batchelor (16), Progressive Lad (17) fr. Ems: Elegant Dash, Progressive Lad, Misjudge, Croker.

8 9.50: NEVELE R FINAL $100,000, 3yo fillies, 1950m.- I Decline (1), Kamwood Gal (2), Sparks A Flyin (3), Braeside Star (4), Lewinsky Franco (5), Noble Strike (6), Atomic Knight (7), Glacier Bay (8), Elisit Franco (9), Vert Et Blanc (10), Maheer Queen (11), The Bragger (12), Fair Alaska (13), A Little More Magic (14), Shania Patron (15), Bionic Reign (16), Lady Miles (17) fr. Ems: Lady Miles, Atomic Knight, I Decline, Lewinsky Franco.