Gate hurts Sireeze for Bunbury Stakes
A fifth consecutive wide draw has left Sireeze's APH Contractors Bunbury Stakes (1400m) fate in the hands of former champion apprentice Ben Paterson.
Sireeze copped another double-figure barrier when drawing the outside in the field of 10 in Sunday's $120,000 Listed feature.
Paterson will have to replicate his Hannan's Handicap-winning ride on the consistent sprinter if he is to upset Black Heart Bart.
WA's leading apprentice for the past two seasons, Paterson helped Sireeze overcome barrier 14 to claim last September's Hannan's Handicap (1400m) at Kalgoorlie.
"He's always drawing wide," Paterson said of Sireeze.
"If he drew a gate I'd be confident, but he might have to go right back from that barrier.
"I'd love to win on him again because he's going really good.
"We'll just need some luck. I'm sure he'll be competitive."
Sireeze ran an eye-catching third behind Black Heart Bart first-up in the Cyril Flower Stakes (1200m) last month.
Paterson rode the five-year-old closer to the speed in the Pinjarra Classic (1300m) but was trapped wide and finished seventh behind Black Heart Bart.
Sireeze, a winner at five of 35 starts for trainer Sharon Miller, is a $10 chance for the Bunbury Stakes.
Black Heart Bart is the TAB's $1.90 favourite, despite having to carry the 61kg topweight. Sireeze is one of eight contenders on the 54kg minimum.
Paterson also has to navigate wide draws at Ascot tomorrow when he rides Mad Brad and Already Famous. Mad Brad is backing up in the World Plumbing Day Handicap (1400m) after running third to the in-form She's A Virtue last Saturday.
Already Famous, set for the Reddifund Handicap (2150m), is also running for the second time in seven days. He was only beaten a long neck when third to Flying Force over 1800m.
"Mad Brad has been pretty consistent since he's come back," Paterson said. "His work's been really good and he'll be hitting the line strongly.
"Already Famous should relish stepping back up in distance."
·Ascot trainer and former top jockey Tim Stubberfield had emergency surgery on Wednesday after sustaining bleeding on the brain in an accident in Bali.
Stubberfield, who rode Bold Extreme to victory in the 1996 Railway Stakes, is recovering well and likely to return to Perth next week.
