Trainer Adrian Bott is hoping his long-term approach with Fully Lit will continue to pay off as the promising galloper returns to Randwick this Saturday for just his second start in a year.
Winner of the 2024 Inglis Millennium, Fully Lit lines up in the Switzerland @ Coolmore Handicap (1200m), looking to build on his solid return effort last month at Rosehill.
Bott explained that the time off wasn’t due to injury, but rather a deliberate decision to let the Hellbent gelding mature physically after a tough two-year-old season that included a placing in the Black Opal Stakes and a run in the Golden Slipper.
“After the two-year-old campaign, it just took him a while to develop and strengthen up to where we needed him to be to make that improvement at three,” Bott said.
“He came into the stable, had a couple of trials, a jump out in Melbourne and then back to the paddock.”
Fully Lit resumed with a fourth-place finish at Rosehill in heavy going and is expected to improve significantly second-up, especially with blinkers added for the first time.
“He had that first-up run and he was probably in need of that. Second-up here he should show some improvement in his fitness,” Bott said.
“We have put the blinkers on Saturday to sharpen him up as well.
“He is working like he might get out a little bit further later in the prep.”
Rachel King will take the ride, and the inside barrier should help Fully Lit settle into a prominent spot early.
Stablemate Bases Loaded will also step out at Randwick in the Civic Stakes (1400m), returning for his first start as a gelding after showing ability last preparation.
The son of Deep Field finished second behind Hawaii Five Oh in the spring’s Theo Marks Stakes (1300m), but Bott urged caution when assessing that performance.
“That was off a quick turnaround from Queensland so he had a bit of residual fitness, whereas he is coming off a decent break here,” he said.
“He will improve, especially when he gets out to the mile again.
“We will take him through to a couple of those races like the Winter Stakes.”
Meanwhile, Bott is also set to unveil import Shamarkand in the Living Turf Handicap (1800m), although he expects the French-bred to find the trip on the short side first-up.
Shamarkand, a Listed winner over 2400m in Europe, hasn’t shown much dash in trials and will likely need further to produce his best work.
“He has been one-paced in his trials,” Bott said.
“He is straight off over the 1800 and that might still be a bit short of his best but he will improve with racing.”
