Get A Pepsi in Sunday’s feature

TREMENDOUSLY improved since last summer, local-bred GET A PEPSI could break his overnight-allowance duck in Sunday’s Temperence Oaks Trophy. However, American CHAMPION BUBBLER’s hint of back class a month ago makes her a dangerous contender for the trophy named in honour of the champion importee with whom she shares Lakeland Farm’s silks and who ruled distance races in the mid-1990s.

On paper, GET A PEPSI’s eye-catching second to MAMMA MIA in the King’s Plate at seven and a half furlongs a month ago, has the Blue Pepsi Lodge-Getupstandup five-year-old in good stead at a half-furlong shorter.

Since winning back-to-back races to reach overnight allowance last summer, GET A PEPSI has consistently held his own, maintaining his form through the back end of the season and into this year.

However, overnight allowance has proven a tough level for GET A PEPSI, who was never a classic contender of his year, instead blue-collaring his way to a head-bob triumph against BABYLIKE to clinch a non-winner-of-four victory at seven and a half furlongs.

A stalking closer, GET A PEPSI has paid his dues among quicker rivals, arriving late in middle-distance races as he did against MAMMA MIA, who stole the King’s Plate in a gate-to-wire win.

Finishing a length behind MAMMA MIA is a good marker for GET A PEPSI, considering the 2023 Guineas and Oaks winner led last December’s Mouttet Mile and was still second a furlong out behind winner ROUGH ENTRY.

Carrying topweight, GET A PEPSI renews rivalry with SUNSET SILHOUTTE, who has consistently finished ahead of him in overnight-allowance meetings. SUNSET SILHOUTTE ran well in back-to-back races recently, outfinished by SONNY T AND CHIPPY two weeks ago at nine furlongs and 25 yards in the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association of Jamaica Trophy.

Though she has had GET A PEPSI’s ticket, SUNSET SILHOUTTE being bumped up by 15 pounds, after the rigours of a route race, could take toll on the wiry five-year-old mare, who struggles to keep pace whenever too heavy.

CHAMPION BUBBLER at 119lb could be a Lakeland Farms coup, returning from a five-month break early March, sharpened by back-to-back races out the five-furlong straight chute for a shot at the trophy named after one of the best horses to race in Richard Lake’s colours.