Malice ready to repeat at Randwick

Evidence from the training track suggests Malice has maintained the form that earned him a notable last-start victory and will carry it into the G3 Christmas Cup at Randwick on Monday, December 26.

Malice had been two years out of the winning list before taking out the Listed ATC Cup at Rosehill three weeks ago and meets similar opposition this time.

“He’d gone a while without a win but we’d never lost faith in him,” said assistant trainer Darren Beadman.

“Even though he hadn’t won, he’d run some good races in the best company, it was just a matter of finding the right race.”

Beadman and trainer John O’Shea believe they’ve found another race to suit the son of Teofilo.

“The original plan was to run in the G2 race (the Villiers) at Randwick last week but the heavy track wouldn’t have suited him so we kept him at home,” Beadman said.

“But he’s thrived since his win and looks nicely suited here.”

Malice will again be ridden by Englishman James Doyle whose latest Australian stint has already produced six winners.

“James did a great job on the horse to win at Rosehill, he’s drawn a better gate here and should be able to settle closer to the lead,” Beadman said.

Malice is one of three Godolphin rides for Doyle at Monday’s meeting, his book being completed by the unbeaten three-year-old Precautions who resumes in the #TheRaces Handicap, Asinara in the Tab Rewards Mile, both races being ungraded.

Doyle, whose latest winner came aboard Bratislava for Godolphin and O’Shea at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, also has four rides at Saturday’s Rosehill meeting, including the Godolphin runner Achi Baba in the ungraded ATC Membership Hcp.