The connections of Blind Raise have set their sights on him being a key contender in several upcoming spring feature races, with his campaign kicking off at Sandown.
Saturday’s Listed McKenzie Stakes (1300m) is potentially the first step towards a Group 1 race, or perhaps two, in Melbourne and Sydney.
The Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 10 and the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick a fortnight later are the races being considered for the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained colt.
However, his immediate priority is to perform well in Saturday’s contest.
Busuttin highlighted that the trip at Sandown was deemed a suitable starting point by the team.
The meeting on Saturday is a Moonee Valley Racing Club event. Had the race been scheduled for The Valley, the distance would have been 1200 metres.
Due to track renovations at The Valley, the fixture has been moved to Sandown.
“He’s forward enough to run well,” Busuttin commented.
“If this race was 1200 metres, we’d be waiting for the Mike Moroney (1400m at Flemington on Saturday week), so the way it has fallen, 1300 metres at Sandown, it’s perfect first-up. He’ll be strong late.”
Blind Raise recorded wins in his first two starts, both over 1400m, before travelling to Queensland where he finished unplaced in the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
“He pulled up full of mucus up there,” Busuttin explained.
“It was too bad to be true, so we didn’t push on and he had a month off up there. If they’re running in Queensland, they can only have two or three weeks off, but it appears to help them being up there. Years ago, everyone used to do it, and for whatever reason people stopped, but now they’ve gone back to doing it. Does it do them any good, I don’t know. If they’re a good horse, they can come from anywhere.”
Busuttin hopes to discover the true quality of Blind Raise this racing season.
He believes the Caulfield Guineas is the logical target race.
“But you have to get there,” Busuttin added.
“The Caulfield Guineas, then the Spring Champion Stakes, that might be a nice race for him, but in a perfect world, he will end up in the Caulfield Guineas.”
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