Hawkes holds Premiere aces
Tuesday, 15 August 2006: John Hawkes will wait until later in the week to decide whether his star quartet of Paratroopers, Mnemosyne, Binding and Mentality clash in Saturday's Premiere Stakes at Rosehill.
Last season's champion Sydney trainer holds the key to the 1200m feature with his four runners making up almost a quarter of the Group Two field.
But Hawkes is playing his cards close to his chest and won't show his hand until acceptance time.
"I won't decide (who runs) until Thursday," Hawkes said.
Three of his four - Paratroopers, Mnemosyne and Mentality - are Group One winners while 2004 Sandown Guineas winner Binding is on the comeback trail from a 10-month injury-enforced layoff.
Mentality is one of a trio of three-year-olds entered for the race along with the Guy Walter-trained Sires' Produce Stakes winner Excites and Victorian filly Lectrice.
Hawkes has also nominated Mentality for the Listed Run To The Rose (1300m) on the same program.
The Champagne Stakes winner has been given topweight of 61kg for the Golden Rose lead-up and has just 50.5kg in the weight-for-age Premiere.
However, history will be against Mentality should Hawkes elect to start him against the older horses.
No three-year-old has won the feature sprint since Integra in 1990 but Hawkes said it wasn't an impossible task with the right horse.
"If they're good enough it doesn't make any difference," he said.
"They don't know if they're any older or younger."
Meanwhile, Gai Waterhouse has confirmed star Queensland jockey Michael Rodd would partner Fumble in the Premiere.
Waterhouse has also taken the precaution of nominating the mare for the Group Three Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday where she would carry 57kg under the set weights plus penalties conditions.
However, Waterhouse said Fumble would race in Sydney, with 55kg, provided the weather stayed dry.
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