Scone preview: It Stays In Vegas can kickstart another big day for Scott Singleton

Daily Telegraph

a day ago

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Local trainer Scott Singleton will again be a force at Scone's first meeting since their annual Cup day/stand-alone carnival where he posted his 400th career win and won the Group 3 Dark Jewel Classic.
Singleton is represented by three of his string on Tuesday starting with the lightly-raced three-year-old It Stays In Vegas who tackles the Arrowfield Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1000m).
The son of one-time Arrowfield resident stallion Shalaa resumed in the coveted Red Crown at Muswellbrook on June 1 but proved no match for the long odds-on winner, Raging Force.
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'I was happy enough for him to run second to that horse there but I was disappointed that he couldn't,'' Singleton said.
'I thought he was just a little bit plain but admittedly, he was first-up and he had to sit outside the leader.
'And it was a funny track that day, it was really gluey and a lot of horses didn't like it so I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that those couple of things might have played against him.
'I think he is a better horse than he went the other day so I am wanting to see him bounce back and do something there on Tuesday.'
It Stays In Vegas is a third generation Australian thoroughbred but does indeed have some American blood and via the likes of two epic stallions, one of them an immortal.
His third dam was a daughter of Seeking The Gold while her fourth was by Seattle Slew, who this week 48 years ago, completed the US Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes.
Singleton, meanwhile, has the honour and distinction of saddling up one of the shortest-priced favourites racing at Scone on Tuesday in Ritzsun ($1.85) in the third race on the eight-event program.
Ritzsun has been a model of consistency throughout his nine starts, winning twice (both of them at Scone) together with four placings, three of them seconds.
The son of Rosebud winner Sebring Sun's most recent performance was a brave and determined on-pace second in the 1200m TAB Highway conducted at Gosford on the Gold Cup and The Coast day.
His Tuesday assignment is the Scone CWA Centenary Benchmark 82 Handicap (1000m).
'Up in grade but down in weight,'' Singleton said.
'He's in an 82 there but he is only carrying 55(kg) so from a good draw and the way he has been working, I would be expecting him to win to be honest.'
Ritzsun has already contested three Highways inside his nine starts and win, lose or draw on Tuesday, there will be a fourth somewhere down the road.
'That would be the plan,'' Singleton said.
'He has only won the two (races) so he can win again and still go to a Highway.
'He is definitely good enough to win a Highway if all the stars align.'
Singleton is naturally eager for the well-bred mare Insightful Award to post her fourth win in the Darley Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap (1300m) having placed at two of her last three 'away' runs.
'I am hoping that given when she won at Scone earlier in the prep, she bolted in, and that was down to the home-track and she can repeat that because it sort of came from nowhere,'' Singleton said.
'But she has remained in good order.
'She a little bit keen the other day at Warren but she certainly seems in good shape and she'll run well.'
Originally published as Scone preview: Three-year-old It Stays In Vegas can kickstart another big day for Scott Singleton