Reigning Phoenix champion Schillaci will jump from box one in Saturday night’s fourth edition of The Phoenix, as Jihad Talgi chases back-to-back triumphs in the world’s richest race.
He was unlucky not to win the Melbourne Cup in late November after jumping to the lead before some interference hindered his run, as Explicit stamped himself as the best dog in the land.
Schillaci’s name was first drawn at this morning’s box draw and Ladbrokes Racing Club’s Ryan Stanaway didn’t hesitate to take the red.
“It’s a sense of timing with what Talgi’s done with the dog,” Stanaway said.
“At the end of the day that stands for nothing if the dog’s not in form. He showed he’s in great form with the Melbourne Cup heat and the Melbourne Cup, that first split he was probably a whisker off clearing them and being off and gone, so he’s going in in the right form.”
Sportsbet, winner of the first two editions of The Phoenix with Wow She’s Fast, have their chips in with the Greenoughs again, hoping Big Energy can prevail from box two. Big Energy has three times raced from box two, and is undefeated.
Excavation (Aaron Bain Racing and Summit Bloodstock) grabbed box three with the next selection, before trainer Jason Thompson decided to grab box eight with early favourite Explicit (Awesome Lodge).
“I’ve always thought throughout his career that box eight is probably where I like to see him, so if he gets the start right he’s going to get a clear run and whoever wins the race has got to get the start right,” Thompson said.
Smooth Plane (Australian Bloodstock), who zipped around The Meadows in an exhibition trial on Saturday night in a slick 29.41, had the fifth pick and also went out wide, selecting box seven.
