Neasham trio ready to go the distance

The prospect of a soft rather than heavy track is music to the ears of trainer Annabel Neasham as she chases a first local win with former English gelding Perfect Play.

The four-year-old will join stablemates Funambulist and Gulf Of Mexico in Saturday’s The Agency Real Estate Handicap (2400m) at Rosehill where the track was rated a 7 on Thursday.

Perfect Play has been competitive at his past two starts on heavy ground, but Neasham expects a return to slightly firmer footing, combined with a 400m distance rise, to prove significant.

“I’m looking forward to getting him up in trip,” Neasham said.

“He’s drawn (barrier) three, it’s a nice draw, and he’s a really honest horse.

“He’s had such wet decks and while it’s not going to be dry, I’m looking forward to getting him on a drier deck than what he has been seeing.

“He’s training really well at home and he’ll be a big chance.”

Gulf Of Mexico is also a recent arrival from Europe, beginning his career in Ireland before joining Neasham’s yard earlier this year.

He is still to prove himself beyond 2000m, but as a son of Galileo and a product of Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle yard, Neasham has him earmarked to stay.

“I think he is a really tough, on-pace stayer and it will be good to get him out to this distance,” she said.

“He’s a really well-bred horse, an ex-Ballydoyle horse, but to me he looks like he is looking for further.

“He hasn’t got a turn of foot, but he’s one of those really nice, big galloping horses.”

Funambulist drops back to benchmark 78 company after contesting the Winter and Stayer’s Cups (2400m) at his past two starts.

Saturday will be the ninth run of his campaign and while he is the longest priced of Neasham’s trio, she says he isn’t without appeal.

“We have been running him a bit out of his grade where he has been slightly out of those handicaps, but he just tries his heart out every time he goes around,” Neasham said.

“We’ve been waiting to find a (benchmark) 78, 2400 for him on a rain-affected track for a while so back to his grade, he will be a good chance as well.”