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Kemalpasa set to line up in Group 1 at Morphettville
Should he win, Kemalpasa (Magnus) would hand his co-trainer David Jolly a first win in The Goodwood (Gr 1, 1200m) when the son of Magnus (Flying Spur) takes his chance in the Group 1 at Morphettville on Saturday.
Jolly has been trying to win The Goodwood for almost 30 years, firstly as a jockey and since 2000 as a trainer.
Unfortunately weight restricted Jolly's Goodwood rides while he's had a number of placings in the race as a trainer, including Stirling Grove's (Mossman) third behind Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) in 2011.
"It's one of the biggest races of the year in Adelaide and we only have the four Group 1's now and it's certainly one on the bucket list to win," Jolly said.
Kemalpasa enters Saturday's race coming off victory in the R N Irwin Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Morphettville on April 17.
"The horse is well and he's had four weeks between runs previously and won, so that's no issue,” said Jolly. "He's a very consistent horse and I think he's a winning chance."
The gelding will line-up alongside the James Cummings-trained Viridine (Poet’s Voice), who comes into the race off the back of a fourth place finish in the DC McKay Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Morphettville on May 1.
"I think Viridine is flying," Godolphin's Sean Keogh said.
"To carry such a weight (In the McKay Stakes), 60.5kg, giving 6.5kg to the entire field … it looked like he was just warming up late. Probably forced a little bit wide. Was finding the line well and he came through the run great.
"I think it was a good lung burner for him, he has done well between runs, similar to Pandemic, he's had a couple of days at the beach.
"James (Cummings) has just kept some maintenance work up to him. This morning he had a gallop on the course proper and he felt really good."