Watson eyes sweep of features
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Champion owner Carlton Watson’s chances of sweeping two of Saturday’s feature races depends on which DESERT OF MALIBU turns up to square off with Jason DaCosta’s CALIFORNIA CROWN in the open-allowance sprint at five furlongs round.
Watson’s United States-bred GIRVANO should be a shoo-in for the Kenneth Mattis Memorial at nine furlongs and 25 yards after his flying finish for second behind PHENOMENAL POWER in July’s Mouttet Mile.
A proven grade-one runner, GIRVANO was second to two-time Mouttet Mile runner-up LEGACY ISLE in June’s Eros Trophy at seven furlongs but ran a horrible race as the 6-5 favourite a month later when given a conditions bye to face overnight-allowance runners two classes lower in the Clovis Metcalfe won by PHENOMENAL POWER.
After finishing fifth, 12 lengths behind PHENOMENAL POWER, GIRVANO returned 21 days later in the grade-one Diamond Mile, two classes higher, to shave 11 lengths off the Clovis Metcalfe winner, failing by a length to pull off a 17-1 coup.
Having confirmed his grade-one status in the Diamond Mile, throwing his Clovis Metcalfe run out the window, GIRVANO must be the horse to beat, reverting two classes lower, back among overnight-allowance runners.
Watson and DaCosta landing a double, CALIFORNIA CROWN-GIRVANO, hinges on whether United States-bred DESERT OF MALIBU’s win-every-other-race form holds out.
DESERT OF MALIBU has faced CALIFORNIA CROWN in her last four races of which she has won two of those encounters, including a battling half-length win over the local-bred at five and a half furlongs on July 18.
Though CALIFORNIA CROWN did not win any of the four recent races in which he met DESERT OF MALIBU, he had finished ahead in two of her underperformances, including the last time she set foot on the track, tailed off behind winner DOTHRAKI at five and a half furlongs on August 1.
CALIFORNIA CROWN appears sharper than DESERT OF MALIBU at exercise and has the scale in his favour, an eight-pound swing, which could give him the advantage over the seven-year-old mare.