Eliyass aiming to turn a 20-length defeat into Doomben Cup success
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How to turn a last-start 20-length defeat into a Group 1 triumph?
It will be hard, but potentially not quite as hard as you might think.
Eliyass, the French-bred import that Gai Waterhouse last year declared was her most talented stayer since 2013 Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente, was beaten so far in the Hollindale Stakes he would have needed binoculars to see the winner Antino.
READ: 'No two-horse race': Gollan insists chances aplenty in Doomben Cup
But when a post-race veterinary examination revealed that Eliyass was coughing, stewards ordered an endoscopic examination.
Nothing significant was found and, after a track gallop at Doomben on Tuesday, co-trainer Adrian Bott gave him the all clear to take his place in Saturday's Group 1 Doomben Cup.
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Bott has seen big form reversals due to track conditions before and said the Hollindale was a total forget run, with Eliyass not enjoying the heavy conditions and kickback on the day.
'I think in situations where you get those kind of conditions like we saw on the Gold Coast, you do have to be very forgiving,' Bott said.
'He was getting a lot of kickback, racing in among the pack, stuff was coming back at him.
'It wasn't an ideal spot for him to be in, we will just put what happened first-up down to the track.
'I have seen big form reversals before and all we can go on is what the horse has been showing us since.
'He worked well on Tuesday morning and all is in order.
'It is probably not ideal in that it would be better for the horse to have taken some confidence from his last run.
'But the horse hasn't taken any harm from the run.'
READ: Heathcote poised to spring upset with luckless $2.3m earner
Eliyass will take his place in Saturday's Doomben Cup Picture: Getty Images
Bookmakers are certainly being forgiving and have high respect for Eliyass which is rated a $9 chance in the Doomben Cup where he will take on fancied pair Pride Of Jenni and Antino which sit atop of betting.
READ: TAB's strategic move throws early markets into a frenzy
Eliyass went on a terrific winning run when he kicked off racing Down Under last year before he tired at the end of his spring campaign and did not fire in his last two runs, including in the Group 1 Champions Stakes at Flemington in November.
He has drawn the widest barrier (13) in the Doomben Cup and jockey Tim Clark will have a pivotal decision to make after the gates open.
Bott expects him to be in the first few as Pride Of Jenni scoots away with her freewheeling style.
'Eliyass is a horse who can generally be ridden handy to the speed anyway,' Bott said.
'Potentially, he could be one of the closest to Pride Of Jenni in the run.
'We are drawn out wide, we are going to have to be making a decision there.
'We will probably be trying to put him in the race.
'We are expecting them to run along and be strung out, that may help offset the draw as well.'
Originally published as Co-trainer Adrian Bott is hopeful Eliyass can turn around a massive last-start defeat in Saturday's Doomben Cup
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