One race has been the focus of Sir Delius’s autumn program, facing the challenge of elite mares and an accomplished international horse, with trainer Adrian Bott convinced the runner is tuned for maximum impact.
If that can topple Autumn Glow, Aeliana and Dubai Honour is questionable for Bott, who predicts the horse’s best this prep in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick this Saturday.
“He has been building well. He’s right on track now and hopefully we’ll see him run a personal best this preparation,” Bott said.
“Some of his best performances in the spring still may not be enough with the form Autumn Glow is in, but in saying that, it’s different conditions to what they met at last time.
“I expect it to be a decent pressure race. I feel he’s at his best now this prep to perform well.
“This is the run and the race where we’ve tried to have him peaking.”
Double success came in the spring via the Underwood (1800m) and Turnbull Stakes (2000m), but Melbourne Cup hopes crumbled after vet tests from Racing Victoria went awry.
Mid-campaign withdrawal was necessary, leading Bott to say races were needed to get him race-sharp now.
“We were able to go into the spring off the back of a Queensland campaign and had residual fitness early in that preparation,” he said.
“We’ve come off a longer break and it’s taken a bit of time to build into that. It was unsuitable at the mile first-up and he showed improvement second-up when we just gave ourselves a bit to do.”
Sir Delius sat deep from the wide draw in his Ranvet Stakes (2000m) second-up run, yet Bott foresees a closer trip from draw three on Saturday.
Unbeaten Autumn Glow is the horse to best, but Bott hopes her initial 2000m test in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes reveals a weakness.
“It’s new ground for her, if we’re trying to find anything to grasp onto,” Bott said.
“I have respect for her, not just her. Aeliana was very good last start. Lindermann even prior to that. It’s a proper weight-for-age 2000 metre race.”
History shows the Queen Elizabeth Stakes prone to upsets, from Intergaze ousting Octagonal in 1997 to Grand Armee thwarting Lonhro in 2004.
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