SOUTH Australia’s leading spring carnival contenders headline nominations for Saturday’s $127,250 Group 3 Spring Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville.
Behemoth and Dalasan will launch their respective campaigns as they track towards Melbourne while Will Clarken could take a three-pronged attack into the feature.
Clarken has impressive last-start Lightning Stakes winner Beau Rossa, Ironclad and Second Slip among nominations for the six-furlong race.
Second Slip, who won his first three races in Australia, was an acceptor at Flemington last weekend before being scratched and he hasn’t raced since running fifth behind Groundswell at Bendigo back in March.
Likewise Ironclad will be first-up in the race as he heads towards some big spring targets.
Unbeaten in four starts since joining Clarken, Ironclad is among the nominations for the big three in Melbourne over the spring – the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.
Beau Rossa is also among entries for the Listed Regal Roller at Caulfield with a decision on where he races to be made later in the week.
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have nominated Bella Nipotina, a former Lindsay Park-trained mare.
While she’s only won the one race, the Group 3 Quezette Stakes at Caulfield in 2020, Bella Nipotina has banked connections more the $883,000 in prizemoney on the back of placings in some strong form races and hasn’t races since running third behind smart stablemate Away Game in the Group 3 W J Healy at Eagle Farm in June.
Murray Bridge horseman Mick Huxtable has his talented pair of Perfect Route and Ritratto set to resume in the race while Saturday’s blow out Murray Bridge winner Wurlies Lastchance, who gave trainer Lindsay Cadzow his first city winner in 40 years, has also been nominated.
