Trainer Dominic Sutton is maintaining flexibility regarding the campaign for Feroce pending evaluation of the gelding’s initial appearance back at Caulfield.
The victor of last year’s Group 1 Australian Guineas has been entered to return in Saturday’s Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m).
Feroce’s showing in that comeback effort will shape his forthcoming direction.
Potential targets lingering in Sutton’s thoughts include the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 21, the Group 1 All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington next month, and the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) on February 28.
“We haven’t made any set plans. We want to see how he returns first-up,” Sutton said.
“We’ll probably keep him to that 1400 metres, to a mile, but he has returned well.
“Potentially he could head to the Futurity, the All-Star Mile, but if we need to keep him a level down, there is also the Blamey at Flemington.
“The weather will dictate whether he goes to Sydney for a race like the Doncaster, but we’ll probably just target Victoria because we know how wet Sydney can get in the autumn.
“I’ll be dodging the wet tracks with him.”
Feroce kicked off his previous spring preparation strongly, placing third in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, though his form declined afterward with an eighth in the Toorak Handicap prior to encountering soggy conditions during the Golden Eagle in Sydney.
“He had a really good start to the spring and in the Rupert Clarke, he was super, ran a peak performance that day, and then we got things tactically wrong in the Toorak,” Sutton said.
“We pressed forward from a wide gate, and he just couldn’t do it in that high pressure race, riding the speed and that pressure early.
“Then we took him to Sydney for the Golden Eagle. It rained on the day, it was a horrible track, horrible conditions.
“He needs a good surface, and it was literally a forget run.”
Although Sutton views Feroce’s optimal distance as spanning 1400m to 1600m, there’s interest in potentially stretching the gelding back out to 2000m once more.
In his sole previous attempt over 2000m, Feroce ended up sixth in last year’s Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington.
“It was an afterthought and he was the youngest horse in the race and with Pride Of Jenni in the race, it was a stiff 2000 metres,” Sutton said.
“I have always thought he would be a 10-furlong horse, but he does seem to sprint quite well fresh.
“We’ll see which way he takes us, but there are plenty of options.”
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The post Sutton keeping an open mind with Feroce first appeared on Just Horse Racing.
