Slew of Lode ready for Cordoba

Something has to give today at the Group 3 Admiralty Classic Stakes as the unbeaten CORDOBA puts his perfect record on the line against the nearly-flawless SLEW OF LODE.

Cordoba, a UK-bred four-year-old, has strung together four wins on the spin since his debut last September and is gunning for not just his fifth straight victory but also his first Group success.

Standing in his way, however, will be the formidable force of the Patrick Shaw-trained Argentine-bred four-year-old galloper, who will have South African jockey Barend Vorster taking the reins because regular partner John Powell can't make the weight. After a narrow defeat on his debut last November, Slew Of Lode has chalked up four consecutive wins and is widely-tipped to make it five-in-a-row by coming up tops in the $150,000 race.

While the upcoming 1,600m race will be the first time both horses are squaring off, it is unlikely to be the last as both connections have targeted the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby in July as their main target for the year and a win here would lay down a strong marker ahead of the time-honoured classic event.

Cordoba, prepared by English trainer David Hill, will be piloted by his compatriot Alan Munro today.