Polanski booked himself a start in Saturday week’s $400,000 Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield with his effort at Cranbourne on Thursday morning.
The Victoria Derby winner beat home Group 1-winning speedster Bel Sprinter in the morning’s open-class 800m trial, defeated only by Mick Price’s Oakleigh Plate contender Lankan Rupee and Black Caviar Lightning hopeful Unpretentious.
The $4000 buy’s trainer Robbie Laing said it was all he needed to see to convince him to take on another high-profile three-year-old, Cox Plate winner Shamus Award, in the 1400m Orr Stakes.
The alternative was to tackle the $220,000 Group 2 Autumn Stakes for three-year-olds, on the same day.
“It was a pretty hot field, they’ve run 46.1 (seconds) and he tracked three-deep the whole trial,” he said.
“He settled three lengths off them, was beaten about 3.5 lengths, so he’s probably run 46.5. He trialled super.
“I thought if he run in the top three, around Unpretentious and Bel Sprinter, that would be good enough for him to go to seven (furlongs) and be competitive.”
Laing will make a decision on Polanski’s path for the remainder of the Relaxed Racing period following the Orr Stakes with the Rakti colt entered for both the $500,000 Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600) and $1 million Darley Australian Cup (2000m), both at Flemington.
– Racing Victoria
