Stirling Osland is aiming for his maiden Listed success with So You Are before the four-year-old gelding leaves his Armidale stable.
So You Are has secured placings in his last two outings behind Bjorn Baker’s Thebudgiesmugla, and Osland confirmed the horse would soon be relocating to Sydney to join that competitor.
“He’s heading to Bjorn’s after this start for us,” Osland stated.
“He’ll be in Sydney on Friday, have a couple of weeks let up, and then starting with Bjorn as a five-year-old there.
“He’s got to the stage now where he’s a genuine competitor in Group and Listed races every start, so he’s done as much as he can for us and just the travel – he spends 30 hours a month on a float.
“Between driving to Sydney and Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast so coming into spring carnival time, there’ll be a lot of options for a horse like him, we’d spoken to Stewie (Ramsey, owner) that Grafton would be the end of it.”
A victory in Thursday’s Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) would serve as the ideal farewell for So You Are. Timeform has identified him as the most accomplished horse Osland has trained to date, following his second place in the recent Caloundra Cup.
“He’s good as gold,” Osland enthusiastically remarked.
“He’s done a lot of travelling but he travels well and he’s come through it nicely.
“He’s probably going as well as ever, he’s always very consistent, through some good races behind a lot of good horses so I think Grafton looks a nice race for us.”
While Osland is pleased to avoid Thebudgiesmugla in the race, he acknowledged the even-money favourite King Pedro as the primary threat.
“The favourite won well in that Winter Cup last start but I think our form is probably more solid than his,” Osland commented.
“Probably us and Moods’ horse (Pounding), we were probably on par that day but he scratched.
“He’s drawn well in barrier two, he should get a nice run just behind the speed and I think we’re probably coming out of the stronger form line, he’s been in group or listed his past four starts.
“I think he’s well placed, this is a good finish point for him, to get a Listed winner at Grafton, we spend a lot of time racing there, it’d be nice to top it off.”
So You Are is currently priced at $7.50 for the $200,000 feature race on Thursday, which concludes the two-day carnival, famously headlined by the Ramornie Handicap on Wednesday.
Check out the latest racing odds at Australian betting sites.