Solid Gold looks to show his class

It should pay to follow the career of trainer Michael Roberts’ three-year-old speedster, Solid Gold, who is a rather confident Pick 6 banker when he lines up in Sunday’s Race 5, a MR 78 Handicap over 1200m on the Greyville Polytrack.

This son of Rock Of Gibraltar’s latest performance when beaten 0.95 lengths into third place by Desolate Road over 1200m on the turf was full of merit, if you take into account he was returning from a lengthy four-month stint off the racetrack, and it didn’t help that also over-raced.

Solid Gold should improve many lengths now that he’s had a run under the belt, plus he eas-ily has the most inspiring form in the field.

If can reproduce anything close to his penultimate start when denying Alfonsa Spagoni of a victory by a gutsy 0.05 lengths, he will be very hard to peg back in this contest.

“I must admit, I thought he’d win much easier than this,” said Roberts on Telltrack following the gelding’s triumph.

“He’s a nice horse but you can still see greenness. He reminds me of a little horse I used to ride called Bold Tropic.“If he (Solid Gold) could only be half as good, it would be brilliant.”

Apprentice jockey Ashton Arries takes the ride, and his mount will benefit from the No 6 draw and the bottom-weight of 56.5kg.

That is 3.5kg less than his main danger, Blackburn Roc. The latter is ultra-consistent and will get the services of Anton Marcus.

Dennis Drier’s charge let the maiden ranks on the fourth time of asking, impressively skipping four lengths clear of Sigismund over this course and distance.

It is best you put a line through his last result when ninth on the turf – his form proves he is most lethal on the Polytrack.

Jockey Brandon Lerena should be seen in the winner’s enclosure with Silver Song following the running of Race 4, a Maiden Plate over 1200m.

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