The shift of the William Reid Stakes to Caulfield might not suit Baraqiel perfectly, yet it remains the target for the sprinter under the guidance of Leon and Troy Corstens along with Will Larkin.
The William Reid Stakes (1200m) usually takes place at Moonee Valley, serving as the finale for Group 1 races in Melbourne each season.
However, Moonee Valley remains unavailable until the 2027 Cox Plate because of ongoing reconstruction work, so Caulfield steps in to host this year’s Group 1 sprint event.
Baraqiel boasts a strong history at Moonee Valley, securing victory in the Group 1 Moir Stakes and finishing runner-up in the Manikato Stakes during last spring’s carnival, though his single outing at Caulfield ended with a win over the same distance in June 2024.
The quick sprinter heads into Saturday’s race following a fourth-place effort behind Tentyris in the Lightning Stakes (1000m) held at Flemington on February 14.
He had been entered for the Newmarket Handicap (1200m) on March 7 but got scratched the day before due to concerning blood results.
“He literally had a 24-hour virus,” co-trainer Troy Corstens said.
“He left a little bit of feed, which is very unlike him, so we knew straight away something wasn’t right.
“So, you check all extremities.
“Was there a bird in his feed? – No. Was there anything else wrong? No. Did he have water? Yes, but then his temperature was just on the edge.
“So, we took a blood, and it showed it wasn’t right. His markers were up a little bit which told us he wasn’t spot on.
“He was a tiny bit dull in the eye, which one of the staff picked up on straight away, and in the end, we couldn’t run him.
“We don’t take chances, especially going into a Group 1 like that, you need to be spot on.
“If they’re not, you can run them and then flatten them and then it’s preparation over.”
The training partnership of Corstens and Larkin has enjoyed excellent recent success, including a pair of winners at Caulfield last Saturday after a trio of triumphs there on February 21.
Fortuitously for the team, Baraqiel’s preparation continues without major interruption.
Baraqiel demonstrated his recovery from the issue by taking out a jump-out at Flemington last Friday.
“He trialled last week and we were really pleased with it. He seems great,” Corstens said.
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