Sweet Ride upstaged stablemate Flashing Steel on debut but a change of fortune at the barrier draw could lead to those positions being reversed in their Canonbury Stakes rematch.
Flashing Steel drew the outside barrier and settled last before making late headway for third, while Sweet Ride dictated from the front and never looked like being run down.
However, with Flashing Steel drawing the rails for Saturday’s Rosehill assignment and Sweet Ride having to jump from gate seven in the field of eight, trainer Annabel Neasham is expecting there to be little between them.
“They have drawn different ways around this time. Last time Flashing Steel drew the outside gate and Sweet Ride has the outside gate this time,” Neasham said on Sky Sports radio.
“I’d love to see Flashing Steel improve. I thought he was really good the other day coming from well back.
“He got a little bit lost and wayward that last 100 metres, but I think he has really come on from that. He is a talented colt and he is drawn a lot softer in one.”
Neasham reported Sweet Ride had also taken improvement from his first start and Jean Van Overmeire retained the ride after rating the youngster perfectly to score.
“It was a good ride from Jean, he controlled it from in front and made it very hard for anyone behind to get the job done,” Neasham said.
“He’s not a horse that necessarily has to lead, I don’t think.
“We will have to think about what we do from that outside gate but both colts are going well.”
Great Barrier Reef, a Chris Waller-trained debutant for powerhouse Coolmore, is an even money favourite for the Canonbury Stakes (1100m), ahead of barn mate and Breeders’ Plate runner-up Zambezi River($4.80).
Sweet Ride is the more fancied of Neasham’s pair at $8.50 with Flashing Steel a $13 chance.
In a busy afternoon for Neasham’s juvenile brigade, Mumbai Jewel and Sweet Vengeance will also step out in a competitive renewal of the Widden Stakes (1100m) for the fillies in a bid to stake their autumn carnival claims.