Spacewalk set to blast off in three-horse sprint showdown

Monday’s Warwick Farm holiday meeting features a three-pronged sprinting showdown worthy of a long weekend finish – and it’s likely to be a major stepping stone into bigger spring races.

A small but very classy field of sprinters lock horns in a Benchmark 100 Hcp over 1000m deep into the meeting.

And heading the charge as an early clear favourite is an ultra-smart Godolphin four-year-old returning for another prep and his 16th career start.

Spacewalk, a powerful-finishing son of Group 1 winner Exosphere, hasn’t started since a dominant win in the Listed June Stakes (1100m) at Randwick in mid-June.

That came after he finished just behind the placegetters in the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas run at the Sunny Coast and an even more impressive close second in a feature carnival sprint at Doomben when rattling home from last.

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Fitted with two progressive Rosehill trials, Spacewalk looks primed for a fresh attack and might even be aimed at the Group 3 Sydney Stakes over 1200m on Everest, October 14.

But ready to challenge is the Chris Waller-trained five-year-old Extremely Lucky, who has chased home smart Group 3 winner and Everest-bound Buenos Noches, as well as highly touted Red Card, in two runs this prep.

That form reads well for a sparingly raced galloper who won at Listed level as a younger horse before tackling last year’s Group 1 Moir Stakes at The Valley.

The third member of the trio is tough-as-teak resuming six-year-old Coal Crusher from the Joe Pride yard, who was an iron-like sprinter last prep, placed in the Group 3 Star Kingdom before an all-the-way win in a BM 100 in heavy ground at Rosehill.

With a 33 per cent win rate from 24 starts, Coal Crusher also resumes off two trials, but has to carry a hefty 61.5kg.

Supplied by Racing NSW

Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au

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