Black Fantasy is chasing the perfect return in Saturday’s Group 3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m) at Ascot and a win would cap a courageous come back for the Blackfriars gelding.
Black Fantasy has been highly rated for some time by trainers Dan and Ben Pearce, with the brothers hoping their patient approach will reap dividends in the $150,000 Asian Beau Stakes.
Black Fantasy was at his best and in peak form 15-months ago when he claimed a hat trick of races including dual Listed victories in the Aquanita Stakes (2000m) and Belmont Classic (2200m).
A $36,000 Perth Magic Millions Yearling in 2020, Black Fantasy broke through after he was placed in the WA Derby (2400m), Raconteur Stakes (1400m) and Belmont Guineas (1600m.).
Black Fantasy will have just his 15th start in the Asian Beau Stakes; his career stifled in 2023 after a minor leg complaint ruled him out of racing for most of the year.
But Ben Pearce says Black Fantasy is now the soundest he’s ever been and after five trials including a winning heat over 950m at Lark Hill on Monday, he’s ready to go to the next level.
“We’ve been really happy with his trials and he’s going really well,” Pearce said to The Races WA.
“His tendon has been good as gold, it was only a minor injury, so it gave us hope he was going to return.
“It wasn’t a major tendon injury, no tendon injury is good, but he’s heading in the right direction.
“This run on Saturday will tell us where we’re at with him, but if he did come out and win we would go straight to the Railway Stakes in three weeks.
“Our aim was Perth Cup (2400m), but because he was trialling and working so well that’s when we thought we might have to reassess.
“He’s heading in the right direction.”
Meanwhile Pearce said his speedy sprinter Acromantula was now in the paddock and out of the Pinnacles Carnival.
Acromantula campaigned successfully in the east when he claimed Listed success in the Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley.
The Written Tycoon gelding faded to sixth on his return to Perth in the Listed Crawford Stakes (1000m) two weeks ago.
“It’s hard to see him turning the tables on some of those horses after the Crawford run,” Pearce said.
“We thought he got it easy enough in front, but he’s done a good job and we’ll tip him out.”
Pearce said Sunday’s Northam Stakes (1600m) hero Let’s Galahvant had pulled up super from his victory.
It was the second major win for the five-year-old after winning the Hannans (1400m) in Kalgoorlie last year.
“He is tough as nails and never has had any soundness problems,” Pearce said.
“He just keeps chugging along and has pulled up super.
“I think we’ll go three weeks into the Peters (1500m) and if he happened to win you’d be mad not to run him in the Railway.
“It’s a handicap and he will get pretty close to the minimum, so it might be worth a go.”