The Summit attempts to enhance Caulfield Cup credentials at Caulfield
Lindsay Park import The Summit will attempt to enhance his Caulfield Cup credentials in a Stakes race at Caulfield.
The Summit snuck into the Listed Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) on Saturday with his trainers Ben, Will and J D Hayes looking to enhance his rating with a win, or placing, ahead of his next assignment.
The Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) is on the drawing board for The Summit’s next outing with that race providing a ballot exemption into the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 21.
After starting his career in France ahead of a stint in Hong Kong where he suffered a tendon injury, The Summit has had two starts in Australia.
After pleasing first-up at Flemington in June, The Summit then went on to win over 1600m at Moonee Valley on July 29.
Ben Hayes explained Saturday’s race had been in mind for The Summit since that last start win.
“He came through his win really well and we’ve been able to sneak into this race which is really exciting,” Hayes said.
“We had the option of running over 2000 metres last week at The Valley, but being a French horse, an athletic and lightly framed horse, we thought the month between runs with a nice trial was more suitable and keeping him at 1700 metres was also better.
“The dream is to hopefully get him to the Caulfield Cup, so if he runs well that is the direction we will be heading.
“Ideally, we will go to the Naturalism and then to the Caulfield Cup, but there are also plans B, C and D if that doesn’t work out.”
The Summit only just made the cut for Saturday’s race, but with Listed status, a win, or a placing, would see The Summit lift his rating to get a run in the Naturalism in three weeks’ time.
The Lindsay Park stable also has Makram in Saturday’s contest but are undecided whether to run the gelding after drawing the widest barrier.
“He loves 1700 metres second-up, but I wish the race was at Flemington,” Hayes said.
“We’re not 100 per cent on running, so we’ve just got to have a good think about it.
“We might wait for Flemington in two weeks as there’s an open 1700-metre race there that we could head towards instead.”
More Racing News
Dan Morton keeps faith with 2024 Railway Stakes mare
Trainer Dan Morton has shrugged aside Super Smink’s horror barrier draw and still thinks she can win the Group 1 Swan Draught-Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday. A layer of complexity was added to Super Smink’s Railway Stakes bid after she was handed barrier 18, but Dan Morton is keeping the...
Timing right for Port Lockroy in G1 Railway Stakes bid
He’s one of five interstate raiders and the outsider of the quintet, but co-trainer, Rob Archibald believes there is a sense of timing about Port Lockroy in Saturday’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot. Rob Archibald, who shares training duties with Annabel Neasham, says Port Lockroy put himself into Railway Stakes...
Royal task for Gilded Water at local debut
A benchmark race on The Gong undercard will add some Royal flavour to the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting when a horse owned by His Majesty King Charles III makes his local debut. Four-year-old Gilded Water has been sent to Australia to continue his racing career, having started just four times in the...
Improving trio to fly flag for Godolphin at Kembla Grange
Godolphin doesn’t have a representative in The Gong, but James Cummings is content to rely on a trio of up-and-coming sprinters to carry the stable’s hopes at the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting. Fleetwood will headline the leading yard’s squad when he resumes in the Group 3 The Warra (1000m), while Pisanello and Restonica contest benchmark...
Jason Collett hoping to find Express lane in The Gong
Jason Collett is resigned to the fact that he will be more reliant on luck than good management as he tries to coax another win out of Territory Express in the $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange. The Provincial-Midway Championships Final victor in the autumn, Territory Express has a get-back racing pattern...
Mark Walker aims for ‘new’ hometown Cranbourne Cup
Trainer Mark Walker has a good record when in form New Zealand gallopers land in Australia. Walker’s latest ‘import’ is It’s A Wild Night who will have his first Australian outing in the Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m) on Saturday. It’s A Wild Night arrived at Walker’s Cranbourne base just over a week ago...
Railway Stakes 2024 timing perfect for Baker’s Bel
In-form mare Belclare will need to overcome a wide alley to land her first Australian Group One win in the Railway Stakes at Ascot, and connections believe Nash Rawiller is the perfect man for the job. A two-time victor at the highest level in New Zealand, Belclare joined the Sydney stable of Bjorn...
Trainer Gavin Bedggood chasing Fortune in The Meteorite
Gavin Bedggood hopes the decision to take Oscar’s Fortune to Cranbourne for a midweek gallop will pay off handsomely on Saturday. Oscar’s Fortune runs in the $1 million The Meteorite (1200m), a new ‘slot race’ that Southside Racing, a merged entity of the Cranbourne and Pakenham Clubs, runs for the first time. The former...
John Stewart eyes Melbourne with 2024 Japan Cup fancy
Goliath faces one of the toughest tasks in racing this weekend, beating the Japanese at home in their biggest race, but John Stewart is already planning his next moves with his star recruit and Australia is on the itinerary. The ambitious American has quickly become a powerful investor in Australian racing and...
Hedged poised to give The Warra rivals a trim-up
The Magic Millions carnival is the campaign focal point for promising sprinter Hedged, but trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are hoping he can knock off a feature race along the way. The gelding will resume in the Group 3 The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday, his first start...
