2025 Scone Cup favourite Know Thyself in danger of missing a start
Know Thyself, the form four-year-old, is a firming favourite for the Listed $200,000 Scone Cup (1600m) on Friday – but is in very real danger of missing a start.
The Scone Cup has attracted a bumper 43 entries and Know Thyself is only 23rd in the order of entry, with the race having a maximum of 16 starters.
But so impressive has Know Thyself been this autumn – reeling off four successive wins including the Country Championships Final during the Sydney carnival and then The Coast at Gosford last Saturday – TAB Fixed Odds price assessors are taking no risks with the gelding, installing him a dominant $5 favourite for the Scone Cup.
Paul Messara, who trains in partnership with Leah Gavranich, is sweating on Know Thyself squeezing into the Scone Cup field.
'Know Thyself has pulled up well after his win in The Coast and we are going to proceed this week as if he is in the race,'' Messara said.
'But it doesn't look good and if he misses out on a Scone Cup start, I won't take him to Brisbane, I'll send the horse for a spell and set him for the spring carnival.
'He's had a great preparation and it would be nice if we could get the chance to run in his hometown Cup on Friday but we will have to wait and see if he gets into the race.''
Know Thyself makes it four on the trot and wins The Coast! ðŸ'¥ @AshMorgan6 | @Paulmessara | @LGavranich pic.twitter.com/UpqfNMhL8v
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 10, 2025
•
If Know Thyself gets into the Scone Cup, he will carry only 53.5kg. Top jockey Ashley Morgan, who rode the gelding to his The Coast win, is on standby for Friday's race.
The Scone stand-alone meeting on Saturday has attracted a massive 298 entries for the 10-race program.
Clear Thinking, the classy imported mare trained by Messara and Gavranich, has been entered for two races, the Listed $200,000 Ortensia Stakes (1100m) and the Listed $200,000 Luskin Star Stakes (1300m).
WOW! 🤯
How did Clear Thinking get there? @zaclloydx looked to be in a world of trouble on the short-priced favourite, but once clear she attacked the line to take the @tabcomau Highway! @PaulMessara @ArrowfieldStud pic.twitter.com/F8UiWKRFr0
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 6, 2024
Messara said he was leaning towards starting Clear Thinking in the Ortensia Stakes in which the mare had firmed from $8 to $4.50 favouritism.
'The 1100m race is probably the race we will target with Clear Thinking. She's freshened up nicely and she is unbeaten in two starts at Scone,'' Messara said.
#Meanwhile, Brisbane winter carnival contenders Private Eye, Flying Bandit, Kimochi and Verona Rose will have important barrier trials at Warwick Farm on Tuesday morning.
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