Estero de Ibera looks tough to beat in the 1400-meter Handicap Practicante
- Turf Diario
- hace 4 horas
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The son of Il Campione comes off other races and, despite carrying the top weight of 61 kilos, stands out as the leading contender
With its best events reserved for next Thursday’s big day, the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo will offer a brief program this Monday, consisting of 10 races, highlighted by the Handicap Practicante, set over 1400 meters on dirt for 5-year-olds and older winners.
María F. Alvarez and Walter Suárez took a step back in terms of competition with Comando Secreto (War Command) to rebuild his confidence for the Clásico Macon (L) on Saturday at the Hipódromo de San Isidro, and everything went according to plan.
They will follow a similar strategy with another of their top adult horses, Estero de Ibera (Il Campione), who will carry the maximum weight of 61 kilos, though he comes with strong form on his side. The chestnut horse recently finished third in the Clásicos América (G2) and Horacio Bustillo (G2), crucial steps in the middle-distance turf races at San Isidro, and had previously won the Clásico Haras Ojo de Agua (L), not to mention his earlier victory in the Clásico Pedro Chapar (G3).
Beating him won’t be easy, but Bartlemy (Full Mast, 58 1/2), the in-form horse from Rosario, will line up with that very goal. He just won the Handicap Larrea on the San Isidro dirt, defeating Tsunami Key by 7 lengths. Francisco Leandro was his jockey in that race, but now the Brazilian rider will partner with Estero de Ibera, making his candidacy even stronger.
A good moment is also being enjoyed by Sebi Torres (Orpen, 54), a front-runner who will carry much lighter weight than the others. After winning a conditional race with ease, he finished second, 4 lengths behind Safety Honour (Safety Check), in the Handicap Good Time. It won’t be easy for him to lead from the front, but if he manages to do so, he’ll be difficult to catch.
Starting from the inside, the previously mentioned Tsunami Slew (Key Deputy, 59) will look to recover after a poor effort when facing Bartlemy in the Larrea. It’s important to note that he has always felt much more comfortable on local dirt.
