Saracino best of Kiwis at Flemington
Saracino is the forerunner to a busy Melbourne spring for Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.
Baker’s Melbourne conquests are legendary and have continued since Forsman joined him in partnership.
The team has plans to tackle 3-year-old Group I features with Saracino, Eleonora and Highlad as Melbourne spring racing heats up.
On Saturday Saracino got the ball rolling with a win in the Group II Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.
Baker is not sure whether Saracino will stay the 1600m of his main mission, the A$1 million Group I Caulfield Guineas, but will be wiser after the horse’s next target the 1400m Guineas Prelude at Caulfield in a fortnight.
Should he come through that and look as though the Guineas distance will be no problem he will head to the classic.
.’’You’d like to think he could make the Caulfield Guineas. Who knows, he might not be a miler, more a sprinter,’’ Baker said postrace.
Victorian Oaks hopeful Eleonora who races in the same Lib Petagna colours as Saracino, is set to make her Australian debut at Geelong next Friday.
She will be ridden by Oliver in a 3-year-old 1400m race and is doing well since arriving in Melbourne.
‘‘Damien galloped her the other day and was happy with her,’’ Forsman said.
A final decision will be made on Highlad’s path to the Victorian Derby but he is pencilled in to depart for Melbourne on Wednesday.
‘‘He has come on really well since his Wanganui Guineas win and is going great,’’ Forsman said.
The plan is to run him Saturday week over 1600m before he steps up to 1800m in the UCI Stakes on October 2.
If his form holds up the Caulfield Classic (2000m) on October 15 will be his final dress rehearsal for the A$1.5 million Victorian Derby (2500m) on October 29.
Back home Mongolianlightning pleased Forsman with his run for fifth behind Heroic Valour in the Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka in a race where stablemate Mongolian Wolf was disappointing.
‘‘Probably the first time on a good track found them both out,’’ Forsman said.
‘‘Mongolianlightning is probably going to be our Hawke’s Bay Guineas horse and Mongolian Wolf the Bonecrusher Stakes horse.
‘‘Or they might both go to that race,’’ Forsman said. ’’Up to 1400m will help them both.’’
Heroic Valour was solidly backed in the Ruakaka feature but the plunge of the day came on Logan and Gibbs-trained All Roads, winner of the 2100m Rating 85 race.
Bets were still coming at barrier rise with $5,000 punted at his $2.40 closing price.
His opening price of $3.50 attracted interest with an initial $2,000 bet and as his price shortened another $1,000 came at $2.90..
‘‘The money started coming around 11 o’clock and kept coming,’’ said TAB bookmaker Thad Taylor.