Race fitness is expected to be Midnight Dynamite’s primary asset as he contests the Missile Stakes against more fancied sprinters Angel Capital and Napoleonic, though this advantage will be somewhat diminished by a reduction in distance.
A standout performer during the Sydney winter, Midnight Dynamite secured Listed victories in the Civic Stakes (1400m) and the Winter Challenge (1500m), with another black-type placing achieved in between these wins.
Trainer Bjorn Baker opted to keep the horse in training, considering the possibility of extending him to a mile in the Coffs Harbour Cup on Friday, or alternatively, freshening him for the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m). He ultimately chose the latter path.
“We toyed with the idea of running him over a bit further in the Coffs Cup, but just timing-wise and with him being deep into a ‘prep’, we’d rather freshen him and bring him back to the 1200 than go up in trip,” Baker’s racing manager, Luke Hilton, stated.
“He’s in great order. The gate is a big advantage now. He can settle in the first half of a field and if he’s sharp enough, I don’t think they’re going to run past him on fitness.”
Aside from Way To The Stars, who is returning for his second run, Midnight Dynamite’s competitors are all making their seasonal debut.
The five-year-old gelding boasts a perfect record on the 1200m Randwick course, having won his sole start over the distance. Hilton confirmed the horse is in excellent spirits heading into Saturday’s race.
“He’s in a great frame of mind after his last win. We backed right off him for a week, and we’ve built him back up slowly. He looks fantastic,” he remarked.
“His work on Tuesday was probably as sharp as I’ve seen him this preparation.
“It’s hard to go to a race like that confident, but I’m confident the horse is as good as he can be.”
Midnight Dynamite, priced at $9, leads a contingent of five runners for Baker. Amazing Eagle ($4) is considered the stable’s strongest contender for victory in the Ranvet Handicap (1000m).
The winner of the 2024 Brian Crowley Stakes (1100m), this five-year-old gelding was acquired as a tried horse by syndicators Darby Racing – a similar acquisition to Midnight Dynamite – and will be aiming for his inaugural win under his new ownership.
Stardeel ($21) is the outsider among Baker’s entries, having underperformed in two outings since his impressive first-up victory at Rosehill in May.
Hilton explained that the horse had valid reasons for his subsequent run but failed to meet expectations last start, prompting a modified approach to help him regain his top form.
“We rode him back last start and thought he had a good run in the race, but he didn’t really finish it off. He’s better than that. We’ve seen it,” Hilton commented.
“We’ve tried to space his runs a touch more into this race and give him three weeks. Hopefully it might spark something.
“He’s got a good gate where he’ll have no excuses and do no work, so he’s really got to step up to the mark because he has been a head scratcher.”
For those interested in betting on the action, consider exploring the available Australian betting sites for competitive odds.
