Black Opium Sidelined For Remainder Of 2019

TRAINER Jason Thompson says Australia's number 1 female sprinter Black Opium will have a well earned spell after being scratched from Thursday night's Sandown Park program.

The three-time group 1 runner-up pulled up bruised and battered following last Saturday night's Topgun invitation at The Meadows, with Thompson electing to give the 19-race winner a solid break leading into 2020.

"She's been up for basically the past 12 months so this break will be a blessing in disguise and do her the world of good," said Thompson.

"She pulled up sore in a back leg and hock out of the Topgun; I gave her to the last minute to see how she'd recover but it's definitely time for a break.

"She'll miss Melbourne and Brisbane and return in the new year."

While Black Opium will miss next week's Group 1 Melbourne Cup heats, Thompson told the Recorder it's full steam ahead with freakish galloper Hooked On Scotch, set to start a hot favourite for Thursday night's Group 3 Shootout.

"He's ready to go," Thompson said.

"Ideally I would have liked to draw on the outside of Good Odds Harada but that's how it's come up. If he runs his 5.05 or so early it'll have him right there. I'm happy with him."

As well as Hooked On Scotch going around in the Shootout, Thompson is also represented at Sandown by recent kennel acquisitions Flynn and Cee Jay's Boy in Melbourne Cup preludes.

Flynn – who only made his way to Thompson's kennels earlier in the month after a change of ownership – is a $1.80 chance in race three from box three.

Back in May, the son of Kinloch Brae ran a sizzling 29.09 to annex the group 3 Speed Star in stunning fashion.

"The owners bought him to race; tonight will tell us where he's at going into next week," Thompson explained.

"He might be a bit further along than what I think he is. He's got the ability and is fit and well."

In race six, former NSW galloper Cee Jay's Boy will be eyeing three successive wins since relocating south when he tackles boom youngster Shima Shine.

Cee Jay's Boy made his Sandown debut a winning one last Thursday running 29.85 but will need to lower that time considerably up against an airborne Shima Shine who scored at the venue two runs back in a mind-boggling 29.20.

The star son of Barcia Bale was the hard luck story out of Saturday night's rough and tumble Topgun, put on his backside when charging across to the lead.

The current all-in favourite for November 29's Group 1 Melbourne Cup, the Andrea Dailly-trained Shima Shine is a red hot $1.60 favourite on Thursday night to continue the remarkable start to his career.