Trainer Ciaron Maher says there’s no rush to test emerging colt Observer against Australia’s elite, confirming he will bypass the Cox Plate in favour of the Drummond Golf Vase at Moonee Valley.
The Godolphin-owned three-year-old was unlucky in the Caulfield Guineas, finishing third behind Autumn Boy, and will now be aimed at next week’s Victoria Derby.
“He’s bounced through his Guineas run and I was toying with the Cox Plate, but speaking with the Godolphin team we decided to go to the Vase and then on to the Derby,” Maher said.
The trainer said Observer’s inexperience was the deciding factor.
“He’s a horse that’s not fully rounded yet… still reasonably raw, and that was probably the catalyst,” he said.
Maher believes the 2040m of the Vase and 2500m of the Derby will suit perfectly, describing Observer as “a raw horse with a very bright future.”