The Ciaron Maher team has a point to make as they aim to transform Observer into a Group 1 victor at the mile distance.
The three-year-old colt owned by Godolphin secured the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) during the spring, and currently both the trainer and owner are eager to include a mile Group 1 success on the colt’s record.
Maher previously guided Hitotsu from a Derby triumph to victory in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington during the 2021-22 campaign, and now the stable is targeting that mile event with Observer.
Although Hitotsu managed to take the Guineas on debut back, Maher plans to launch Observer’s autumn series in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield this Saturday prior to progressing to the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on February 28.
“He’s come back, had a couple of jump-outs and looks to be in good form,” Maher’s National Assistant Trainer Jack Turnbull said.
“Interestingly, his jump-outs have been quicker than the two he had last prep.
“We’re trialling against better horses being a Group 1 winner and the tracker has been providing us with some good data.
“We trialled him over a half-mile in his first one to get him chasing and in his second one he had Browny (Ethan Brown) on, and he said he was OK.
“It gives us confidence to run him over 1400 (metres) and that will give him three weeks into the Guineas.
“He’s not quick enough to win first-up at 1200 metres, 1400 metres is OK, and second-up at a mile should be ideal.”
Observer faced misfortune when finishing third in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas behind Autumn Boy last October, then went on to claim the Moonee Valley Vase followed by the Victoria Derby in back-to-back weeks.
Turnbull noted that Observer is approaching training with greater maturity this campaign, and the team has opted for the lugging bit on Saturday instead of the more severe norton bit.
“Off that Derby prep, he’s not quite as fierce and hopefully, he’s grown up a bit,” Turnbull said.
“We’re going to run him in just a lugging bit, rather than the norton bit, which would suggest he’s matured a bit and hopefully he continues on that pathway to being a racehorse.
“Our aim this preparation is to be a mile winning Group 1 colt to add that to his CV.
“If he could win the Australian Guineas, we could look to go to Sydney for the Rosehill Guineas, but we’re very much a two-race program for now, and after the Guineas we can reassess after discussions with Godolphin.”
Check out the Australian betting sites for the top odds ahead of Observer’s run in the Autumn Stakes at Caulfield.
The post Derby winner kicks off at Caulfield first appeared on Just Horse Racing.
