Progressive Lindsay Park stayer The Western Front is set to extend his lengthy campaign in Saturday’s $150,000 Banjo Paterson Series Final at Flemington.
The 2600-metre race marks the tenth start of a campaign that commenced with a fourth placing over 1600m at Flemington on January 10.
Since then, the five-year-old gelding has secured four victories, including the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m). Co-trainer Ben Hayes expressed surprise at the campaign’s duration but is pleased with the horse’s condition and believes there is more to achieve.
“When you get them fit you keep them happy and in a rhythm and these days, with technology, trainers are able to keep horses up for longer,” he said.
“It’s good for them, they enjoy being in work. Some don’t, so you put them in the paddock.
“He’s a horse we’d like to get his rating up a bit more to target maybe the back-end of spring with him.
“He could bob up over Cup Week running in one of those staying races.”
Hayes indicated that a Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) on Champions Day, rather than the $10m Melbourne Cup (3200m), is a more realistic target for the gelding this year.
The Western Front is heading into the final following a second-place finish to Vegas Jack at Flemington on June 20. He faced a challenging run from an outside barrier, and Hayes is confident the gelding can reverse the result with improved racing luck.
“He probably had the hardest run in the race,” Hayes, who trains in partnership with his brother Will and JD, commented on the 1-1/4-length defeat.
“He had no luck at all. He was wide the whole trip, had to work in the middle stages, hit the front early and just got run over late.
“But he’s come through the run well.”
Ridden by Daniel Stackhouse, The Western Front will carry 1.5kg less than Vegas Jack from their last encounter and will start from barrier six, with Vegas Jack in barrier nine.
The Western Front is the current $4.20 favourite, with Vegas Jack at $7, and the pair are closely followed by Wuddzz at $5.
For those looking to back a winner, check out the latest Australian betting sites for the best odds on the Banjo Paterson Series Final.