Half-brothers’ chance at two-state double

Danger Deal will have a crack at a rich race for juveniles in Melbourne but trainer Leon Macdonald has decided to keep the colt’s elder half-brother Royal Rumble at home to run in Adelaide.

Macdonald, who trains in partnership with Andrew Gluyas at Morphettville, has Danger Deal in Saturday’s $300,000 VOBIS Sires (1200m) at Caulfield while four-year-old gelding Royal Rumble has been scratched from the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Mile to instead run in a $100,000 handicap over 1800m on his home track.

“So let’s hope the two brothers can make it a two-state double,” Macdonald said.

Danger Deal is by Victoria and South Australian Derby winner Rebel Raider, who Macdonald trained, out of the mare Queen’s Kiss while Royal Rumble is a son of New Approach.

Danger Deal is yet to win from five starts in Adelaide but has four placings and Macdonald felt the youngster deserved his shot at Saturday’s race restricted to horses by Victroian stallions nominated to the VOBIS Gold series.

“He probably should have won his last start,” Macdonald said of the colt’s second to Malzoom in a 1300m two-year-old handicap at Morphettville.

“He got badly held up on the fence in a small field.

“The horse is probably a three-year-old type, being by Rebel Raider, but he’s a nice type of colt and I thought he had shown enough to have a crack at a race like this seeing the money it’s worth.”

Macdonald has booked in-form jockey Damian Lane who has won two recent Group One races in Sydney in the Australian Derby (Jon Snow) and Champagne Stakes (The Mission) while he also won the Australian Cup (Humidor) in Melbourne in March.

“I rang Damian last week before the nominations went in and he took the ride,” Macdonald said.

“So I thought that’s probably not a bad lead, seeing as though he could probably get on anything in the race.”

Macdonald decided the Adelaide race was the better option for Royal Rumble rather than meeting odds-on favourite Burning Front at level weights at Caulfield under the conditions of the VOBIS Gold Mile.

“It’s a $100,000 race here, and I thought he probably meets Burning Front about nine kilos worse than he should. So I thought we were better off staying home,” Macdonald said.