PARKER KEEN TO GET A “PROPER GUIDE” ON FLYING BANDIT

RAIN, rain stay away!

Multiple Group 1 winning trainer Kerry Parker is desperately hoping for improving track conditions for his Wagga Cup winner Flying Bandit at Royal Randwick tomorrow.

After unplaced runs in the Canberra and Albury Cups last month – both at 2000m – Flying Bandit lines up in the Group 2 Chairman’s Quality (2600m), with regular rider Jay Ford aboard.

Parker has dismissed both defeats on Soft 7 and Soft 6 tracks, saying he wasn’t comfortable on them.

“I’m really hoping for a good track at Randwick,” Kembla Grange-based Parker said.

“I need to get a proper guide on Flying Bandit.

“He looks great and is working great, and I couldn’t be happier with him in that regard.

“But we want to see him on a good track to gauge how good he is going.”

Flying Bandit’s first two wins at his second and third career starts in March and April 2024 were on a soft track at Goulburn and heavy track at home.

However, they were in a Maiden Handicap (1300m) and Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1500m); the latter against only four rivals.

It’s a different story now with Flying Bandit in open company.

Randwick this morning (Friday) was upgraded to a “Soft 5”, but there is a possibility of rain on race day, with up to 8mm forecast.

Flying Bandit’s performance – provided he gets suitable conditions – will determine if he backs up in next Saturday’s $2m Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick.

He has 50kg, and is currently 33^rd in order of ballot (20 can run with provision for four emergencies).

The Chairman’s winner is exempt from both ballot and penalty.

Flying Bandit won six of his first 12 starts, culminating with victory in the Listed Wagga Cup (200m) in May last year on a good surface.

Bianco Vilano, runner-up at Wagga, subsequently won the Albury Cup (2000m) on March 20 on a ‘Soft 6’, in which Flying Bandit ran eighth, beaten five lengths.

Flying Bandit and leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees’ Sydney Cup pair Changingoftheguard (Jason Collett) and Age Of Sail (Tyler Schiller), are the three provincial representatives in the Chairman’s.

. Tommy Berry has been booked for Hawkesbury trainer Jack Pilkington’s Am I Dreaming in tomorrow’s Group 1 Sires (1400m) at Randwick.

Am I Dreaming takes a quantum leap to the elite level after beating older horses in a Provincial Maiden Handicap (1300m) at Hawkesbury on March 26.

The Trapeze Artist colt is the sole provincial runner in the four Group 1’s on Day 1 of The Championships.

There will be celebrations far and wide if Am I Dreaming can make that leap and provide Pilkington with success with his maiden Group 1 runner.

The trainer’s close friend Jamie Piggott, son of the legendary late UK jockey Lester Piggott, is a part-owner of the colt.

. Adam Duggan (Gosford) and Nathan Doyle (Newcastle) were the provincial trainers successful at Gosford yesterday, both with promising young horses.

Duggan produced debutante Shalash (Tommy Berry) to take the Midway 2YO Maiden Handicap (1000m) as a $2.45 favorite, and Doyle’s Just Response (Ash Morgan) resumed to win the CG&E Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m) as a $1.30 hotpot.

Shalah is a two-year-old Xtravagant filly who fetched $70,000 at last year’s Inglis Classic yearling sale, whilst Just Response, who has now won two of his five starts and been placed in the other three, is a Justify three-year-old.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, APRIL 3, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS