As the spring racing begins to heat up, Group 1 racing comes to the fore with a number of Group level runners for OTI in New South Wales and Victoria over the weekend.
Gallic Chieftain and Lord Fandango kick off Saturday in the Group 3 MRC Foundation Stakes (Naturalism Stakes) over 2000m at Caulfield. Both horses are second-up this campaign and have progressed well since their last runs for Archie Alexander.
The blinkers go on for Lord Fandango in an effort to sharpen him up, and coming from a wide barrier we should see him positioned within the front end of the field in running. Ben Allen takes the ride and knows the horse well, so we hope to see a solid finish.
After steering him to his Group 2 Chairman’s Quality victory last preparation, Damian Lane takes the ride on Gallic Chieftain and they jump from barrier five. Gallic will be looking for further, however should put in a good effort.
Below: Gallic Chieftain winning the Group 2 Chairman’s Quality with Damian Lane.
In the Group 1 at Caulfield, Fastnet Tempest steps up in class to take on a strong field for the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. Andrew Mallyon takes the ride after previously winning on the horse in Adelaide. The race has plenty of speed on paper and given the wide draw, Fastnet Tempest will go back and make the charge home. A genuine pace over the 1400m should suit, and we hope to see them working to the line late.
To Sydney on Saturday, Grey Lion takes on the 2000m Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes at Royal Randwick. With Mark Zahra in the saddle and a soft track, they should have a nice run up the rail from barrier three. Importantly, Grey lion has pulled up well from his first-up run and had a sharp trial between races, keeping his legs and mind sharp. Trainer Matthew Smith expects a bold run!
Hutchinson makes it back to the races, after not being seen since his first career start in May last year. He takes on a 1400m maiden at Ballarat and Matt Cumani is very pleased with the horse leading into the race. First up and lacking some match fitness, this run will prove a little short, however he will be running through the line and can only improve from Sunday’s effort.
Plymouth Road and Instigator head to Coleraine for the Cup over 1800m this Sunday on route to longer tests. After his recent trials, Instigator steps out for the first time this preparation under Teodore Nugent and we hope to see a sound effort from the horse.
Below: Plymouth Road returns to scale.
Plymouth Road, who is now based in Warrnambool with Matthew Williams, hasn’t missed a beat since his arrival in Victoria. He is a horse that relishes his work and enjoys the variety of interval training, swimming, beach sessions and treadmill exercise. Plymouth Road is headed to the Jericho Cup later in the year, so the race serves as a lovely stepping stone.
Best of luck to each of their connections this weekend and happy racing!