Guy Walter has pinpointed Balmont’s spring carnival form last year and an improving Ipswich surface as reasons the mare can make her presence felt in the Gai Waterhouse Classic.
Balmont is yet to fire in five starts this year but Walter took enough out of her last-start effort to be optimistic ahead of the Listed 1350m event on Saturday.
“I thought her run at Eagle Farm in the Dane Ripper Stakes was very good on an unsuitable (heavy) track,” Walter said.
Balmont was beaten 2-1/2 lengths into seventh place in the Group Two race won by Red Tracer.
“She gets back onto a decent track, she is down a little bit in class and has drawn well (barrier three),” Walter said.
“On her best form she would be right in this race.”
Balmont’s best form came last spring when the mare was a first-up winner of the Listed Nivison Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
Behind her in third was subsequent Group One winner Ofcourseican.
Balmont then went to Melbourne and finished second to Ortensia in a Listed 1100m event at Flemington.
Ortensia will compete in the Group One King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot next week.
“She has good form behind her and I think she has thrived up in Brisbane,” Walter said.
Balmont is a $12 chance with TAB Sportsbet, while in Sydney Walter has five Rosehill runners including in-form Eucumbene and Dancing Attendance who are both favourites in their respective events.
Eucumbene was gelded after his last preparation and has really turned the corner in his career, winning his past three starts including a dominant wet track performance at Warwick Farm two weeks ago.
He contests the Champs Cafe Handicap (1300m) with premiership leader Hugh Bowman to ride.
“This is his toughest test yet but he has come through everything with flying colours so far and I’m very happy with the horse,” Walter said.
Dancing Attendance resumed from a let-up with a 1-3/4-length win over 1600m at Randwick last month on a slow track.
Walter’s concern in Saturday’s Gaypak/United Fruit Handicap (1900m) is a wide barrier (16) and the mare will have to get back a long way.
“She was in a race at Randwick on Monday that was washed out and that probably would have suited her better,” he said.
“But she’s a very capable mare. She has been up a while but her last-start win was very good.”