Trainer Shea Eden will rely on jockey Dwayne Dunn’s opinion before embarking on a Victoria Derby campaign with rising three year old Stately Boy.
Stately Boy will be having his second race start in the $80,000 Murray Cox two year old Handicap at Flemington on Saturday with Dunn in the saddle and Eden is hoping for some positive feedback from the experienced jockey.
“Dwayne Dunn takes the ride as well so it would be really nice to see what his thoughts are after riding him,” Eden told AAP.
“If he can go there and run really well on Saturday, we’d obviously put him away for a little bit and plan that Derby path.”
Eden is hoping Dunn has the same high opinion of the Styker gelding as he has and would love to set him for the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on October 29.
“I think he’s a really nice, progressive young horse,” Eden said.
“We’re certainly keen to get him out over a trip and possibly set him on a Derby campaign.
“He’s out of a mare who ran fourth in an Oaks and he’s by Stryker who has already sired a Derby winner in New Zealand.
“He’s given the impression from day one that he was going to get over a trip.”
Stately Boy has been to the races once for a second to Saturday’s rival Savvy Belle in a 1400m two year old Maiden on the synthetic track at racing.com Park at Pakenham on July 8 and Eden was hoping to step him up the 1600m at his next start but the 1400m race this weekend was the most suitable race he could find.
“It would have been nice to find a mile race after his debut,” Eden said.
“We couldn’t get that, but it’s a really nice race at Flemington which will give him his chance on turf. I think he’ll be better suited on turf and the Flemington track is certainly a testing 1400.”
Stately Boy is rated as the outsider of the field at $20 who have the Robbie Laing trained So Si Bon as the $3.40 favourite.
Laing is expecting the booking of Damien Oliver will bring a change of luck for So Si Bon who was pushed wide on the track last start when sixth in a 1200m two year old Handicap at Caulfield last Saturday.
“He drew second from the outside and we elected to go back – we wanted to get in midfield if possible but they raced in banks of three so he had no hope of getting in,” Laing told racing.com.
“He started making a quick run towards them on the turn when the leader took half the field off the track.
“With him being the widest runner, the experts tell me the path he took up the home straight was where the trackwork was last week and was quite heavy.
“So to be beaten three lengths after all that, it was quite a good run.”
So Si Bon has drawn wide again and will jump from gate eight in the ten horse field while Stately Boy has drawn the rails.
– horseracing.com.au
