Adrian Bott faces a welcome dilemma heading into Boxing Day with two stablemates presenting strong but contrasting cases in the Group 3 Summer Cup (2000m).
Established performer Major Beel and emerging contender Shangri La Spring meet again after their clash in the ATC Cup (2000m), where Major Beel prevailed narrowly.
That result followed Major Beel’s earlier triumph in the 2023 ATC Australian Derby, while Shangri La Spring continues to build a promising profile.
Bott has deliberately given both horses time since their last start, ensuring neither arrives at Friday’s contest overcooked.
“They both came through the ATC Cup last start, and they’ve had a bit of time since then,” Bott said.
“We have tried to follow a similar formula for them going into this race.
“They’ve had a nice tick over trial, and both looked in good shape.
“There was plenty of merit to both their runs on the day and it’s going to be hard to split them again.”
Although Major Beel has added just two wins since his Derby success, Bott said the gelding has consistently performed with credit against strong opposition.
He pointed to the horse’s effort in the 7 Stakes (1600m), where he finished within striking distance of Fangirl, as an example.
The ATC Cup victory marked Major Beel’s first win in over a year and Bott admitted it was a rewarding moment.
“Very satisfying. He has obviously been a great horse to us,” he said.
“Even though he’d been running well, he lacked a bit of consistency, or it had been hard to find the right conditions for him.
“Things worked out well for him last start and it’s a nice program to get both of them through to Magic Millions, potentially, off the back of it.
“They both look to have done fantastic. Conditions on the day, the draw and factors in running, that may be what splits them ultimately.”
The Summer Cup has drawn a field of 11, headed by topweight Estadio Mestalla, who finished runner-up in The Ingham (1600m).
Punters can follow early markets for the Summer Cup through the Australian betting sites list.
