Go Racing chasing Caulfield Cup dream
New Zealand syndicator Go Racing will be chasing stakes success on both sides of the Tasman on Saturday, including in Melbourne, where Soul of Spain will contest the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).
The proven stayer will be the first horse to carry Go Racing’s familiar silks in the race and the syndicator’s General Manager Matt Allnutt couldn’t be happier.
“It’s fantastic,” he said. “That is what we are working towards with buying those horses from the UK.
“We are under no illusions as to how hard it is to win the race, but it is equally as hard to get a horse into the field, so we are thrilled and very excited.”
Go Racing purchased Soul of Spain three years ago at the Arqana Breeze-up Sale in France, in partnership with Blandford Bloodstock’s Stuart Boman, for €160,000, and he won one of his eight starts in the Northern Hemisphere before joining Chris Waller’s Sydney stable last year.
He subsequently won four races in Australia, and was runner-up behind Changingoftheguard in the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick in April.
The six-year-old son of Phoenix of Spain has had four starts this preparation and placed in the Gr.2 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) two starts back before running seventh in the Gr.2 Metropolitan (2400m).
“I was at Randwick for his last start and immediately after the race I thought it was disappointing, but when you go back and look at the sectionals and the replay of the race, it was actually more tempo related than a below par performance from him,” Allnutt said.
“He has come through it well and Chris is really happy with his work. He has travelled down to Melbourne and galloped at Caulfield earlier in the week and we are happy and ready to go.”
TAB bookmakers are currently offering $34 for Soul of Spain on their fixed odds market for the Caulfield Cup, with New Zealand-bred Cosmic Crusader heading the market at $5.
While looking forward to Saturday, Allnutt said the two miles of next month’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) will be more to Soul of Spain’s liking.
“He won his maiden race in Ireland over 3319m, he has proven he can get the two miles, and he looks a nice Melbourne Cup horse,” Allnutt said. “It is hard to win that race, but I think he will give us a shot.”
Allnutt is hoping he won’t be Go Racing’s only representative in the race, with Omni Man and Manzor Blue also targeting the coveted staying feature.
Allnutt went to England to watch the Joseph O’Brien-trained Omni Man run fifth at Royal Ascot in June, and the five-year-old gelding has since placed in the Gr.3 Royal Whip Stakes (2011m) before making his way down to Australia.
“Omni Man ran fifth (at Royal Ascot) and he gave us a really good shout at the 200m mark and got collared late. It was good to be able to get up and have a good old scream and shout when you have a horse with a genuine chance,” Allnutt said.
“He is in Australia now and he missed out on the field for the Caulfield Cup, so he will go to the Geelong Cup (Gr.3, 2400m) or Moonee Valley Gold Cup (Gr.2, 2500m) to try and get a golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup.”
The Lisa Latta-trained Manzor Blue, who won the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) and was runner-up in the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m), is on a similar trajectory if she gets the green light following a compulsory CT scan in Waikato tomorrow (Thursday).
“We will get it (CT scan) done here instead of travelling all the way over (to Melbourne),” Allnutt said. “If she passes, she will go over to Australia and go to either the Geelong Cup or Moonee Valley Gold Cup, and then hopefully into the Melbourne Cup. If she doesn’t pass the scans she will stay here and race in the New Zealand Cup.”
While next month’s Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton is Manzor Blue’s Plan B, Go Racing will have plenty of representation in the race, with the Charlotte Littlefield-trained Tajanis crossing the Tasman for the race, while the Kylie Hoskin-trained With Grace will head south from Auckland.
Tajanis has campaigned in New Zealand before, finishing runner-up in last year’s Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m), when trained by Chris Waller, and Allnutt is looking forward to getting him back on this side of the Tasman.
“He is an out and out stayer, he is just starting to get warm over the two miles, so we thought we would bring him out here and have a crack at the New Zealand Cup,” he said. “We will have him in the New Zealand Cup along with With Grace. He arrives here on Saturday and will go to Kylie Hoskin’s at Byerley Park.”
Meanwhile, at Ellerslie on Saturday, the Stephen Marsh-trained Rose Aye Reign will carry Go Racing’s hopes in the Gr.2 Windsor Park Stud Soliloquy Stakes (1400m).
The daughter of I Am Invincible had two unplaced runs as a juvenile last term, but has come of age this season, finishing runner-up to the highly fancied Getupoffathatthing over 1100m at Taupo last month before winning her maiden over 1200m at Te Rapa a fortnight later, beating stakes performer Phillyjean and Group Three performer Shalabiya.
While pleased with his filly heading into Saturday, Allnutt’s heart sunk a little on Wednesday when he saw she had drawn barrier 14, but he is still upbeat about a strong showing.
“She was just immature as a two-year-old and was doing everything wrong,” Allnutt said. “She has really come on this time in, she is a lot stronger physically, but mentally is where we have seen the most improvement. She is settling in her races and doing everything so much more professionally, which is holding her in good stead.
“She hasn’t drawn very well, and it is a very strong field. That (Soliloquy Stakes) has been her target race since she won at Te Rapa, with an eye to the Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m). We will go back, look to settle and get her relaxed and then be hitting the line strong, and hopefully she is showing us that she can run out a mile next start.”
– By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk