Castillo King, having had fewer than two months since his initial race start, is set to compete against some of the finest horses in his age bracket in the upcoming Run To The Rose. Jockey Tommy Berry is confident the colt is capable, provided one crucial element is met.
The Michael Freedman-trained three-year-old has drawn barrier 12 out of 13 for Saturday’s 1200m sprint. Facing a strong field that includes Group 1-winning juveniles Fireball and Tron Bolt, Berry stressed the importance of Castillo King receiving some luck in the early stages of the race.
“We had to ride him quiet from a poor alley last start and we were hoping he drew well this start because we wanted to be prominent on him,” Berry stated. “I’m just disappointed with the draw. I still wouldn’t think, this weekend, we’d ride him quiet, only for the fact he is there to run well.
“He’s been working well, so we’d want to still be positive on him and hope for a bit of luck. If we get the luck, he’s going to be right in the finish.”
Following an impressive debut win at Warwick Farm in July, Castillo King was positioned in the latter half of the field, making up ground for fourth behind Chilly Girl in the Rosebud (1100m) last month.
Freedman has adopted a strategy of spacing the colt’s runs, and Berry noted that Castillo King is an athletic type who will handle the Run To The Rose race conditions fresh.
“He’s not a big, gross horse so we weren’t worried about the month between runs with him,” he explained. “He’s working really well at home. He had a few days in the paddock after his last run and he’s spot-on.
“He’ll have no excuses on the weekend bar bad luck, but if we get a bit of luck in the first furlong, I guarantee he’ll be in the finish.”
Although Berry has partnered Castillo King in his two previous races, he will be riding Hidrix for the first time in the Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m), another significant three-year-old event.
The Canonbury Stakes (1100m) winner resumed with a creditable fifth place against older horses in benchmark grade last month. From barrier four, Berry believes Hidrix is ideally positioned to perform.
“The barrier is probably imperative so he can get a nice run behind the speed,” he commented. “His run was really good first-up when he went back to the inferior ground on the inside.
“I saw him the other morning and he’s in great order. He’ll appreciate the step up in distance as well.”
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