Trainer Chris Waller received positive feedback regarding his Caulfield Guineas contenders following a recent visit to Caulfield.
Tron Bolt, Diameter, Central Europe, and Somethings Burnin’ all completed gallops at Caulfield on Tuesday morning in preparation for the Caulfield Guineas (1600m) this Saturday.
The four horses experienced the race day tie-up stalls, the walk into the mounting yard, and a familiarisation with the Caulfield track itself.
“It’s important to come here as they come here on race day more relaxed,” Waller stated. “It’s no different to us. They get familiar with being here. You don’t want their eyes popping out of their heads, you want them to focus and concentrate on their racing.”
While Waller departed Caulfield on Tuesday morning feeling optimistic, the barrier draw for the 11-horse field, released a few hours later, presented some challenges.
Tron Bolt drew gate 11, Diameter drew gate 9, Central Europe will start from gate 7, and Somethings Burnin’ secured the most favourable draw in gate three.
“A good barrier is always important in the Caulfield Guineas, or any race,” Waller commented. “When my horses draw wide, they generally drift back, find a spot, relax, get the first half of the race right. You rely on so much luck and speed to be able to win.”
The responsibility will now fall to the jockeys to execute their race plans.
Waller confirmed that Tron Bolt has been specifically targeted for the Guineas since his victory in the JJ Atkins (1600m) during the Queensland Winter Carnival in Brisbane.
“He’s a very talented colt with a Group 1 next to his name and his run in the Golden Rose was certainly a pass mark and he will appreciate stepping up to 1600 metres,” Waller explained. “Being a J J Atkins winner, you hope they have enough speed to win a Golden Rose, but barrier draws and the like probably played a part, but this has been a target race for him.”
Central Europe, a costly yearling, has finished in the placings in three of his five starts but enters the Guineas still a maiden.
The son of Frankel was given a slightly more rigorous workout than his stablemates on Tuesday.
“We have to make sure he doesn’t get too fresh,” Waller said. “He was very fresh in the Golden Rose and subsequently he led and went too quick. He can go forward and roll and may be get a sit and conserve some energy, and being a son of Frankel, it is such an important race for him.”
Both Diameter and Somethings Burnin’ have previous experience at Caulfield, having finished first and second respectively in the Stutt Stakes (1600m) on September 27.
“He is a very fit horse,” Waller remarked about Diameter. “He was placed in a Group 1 race as a two-year-old so there is a sense of timing there for a son of Brazen Beau which means a lot to us.”
“Somethings Burnin’, he was narrowly beaten by Diameter the other day. He’ll have a gear change (lugging bit on) to give the rider a little more control and if he can conserve a little bit of energy early, he could perhaps make up the difference. It is a race that is so important to colts and a race that we pick out a long way in advance.”
It’s shaping up to be a competitive race, and punters are already looking at the racing odds for the Caulfield Guineas.