Trent Busuttin recognises that if the priority was solely to pursue a Group 1 victory, the sensible course of action would be to send Blind Raise to Sydney for this Saturday’s Spring Champion Stakes.
However, he is also keenly aware that the specific opportunity that has materialised this year is not one that arises frequently.
Consequently, the Caulfield Guineas runner-up, trained in partnership with Natalie Young, will compete in this Saturday’s $6 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m).
The son of Ace High has yet to achieve Group 1 success and would most likely start as a hot favourite in the $2 million Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick. Instead, he will renew his rivalry with Warwoven, the horse that defeated him in the Guineas, at Flemington.
“The sensible thing would have been to go up to Sydney for the $2 million race, but you very rarely get a genuine live chance in a Cox Plate,” Busuttin stated.
“I think they’ve got him at 10/1, he is a genuine chance in it, so you’ve got to have a go.”
Blind Raise and the Bjorn Baker-trained Warwoven, who will each carry 49.5kg in the Cox Plate with Jamie Melham to ride Blind Raise, are aiming to be the first three-year-olds since Shamus Award in 2013 to win Australia’s weight-for-age championship.
Established stars Sir Delius, Aeliana, and Birdman are confirmed rivals. Ceolwulf is expected to back up after his second placing in the King Charles III Stakes, while a decision on whether beaten Caulfield Cup favourite Cosmic Crusader will race will be made on Tuesday.
Fillies Global Goal and Proxima Dea are the current market leaders for the Spring Champion Stakes, which on Monday morning attracted 11 entries, including Chris Waller-trained colts Stormy Marco, Diameter, Central Europe, and Wonka.
The Caulfield Guineas was merely the sixth start for Blind Raise and his first race beyond 1400m. Nevertheless, Busuttin noted the day after the race that the colt had suffered little harm and has been pleased with his subsequent training efforts.
“It was obviously a hard race last week but he came home and he ate everything, licked the feed bin clean, trotted out free in the morning, we took him for a walk and he was squealing and carrying on then got in the roll box and carried on,” Busuttin explained.
“So it was pretty safe that he’d come through it good and then he galloped Saturday morning and galloped up very, very good.”
The field for this year’s unique Cox Plate, which will be run at Flemington with Moonee Valley under reconstruction, will be finalised on Tuesday night at a barrier draw function in Melbourne.
Consider the competitive racing odds available at Australian betting sites for this prestigious event.
