Annabel and Rob Archibald will rely on a change of plans for Nellie Leylax, confirming the import will run in Melbourne this Saturday rather than heading to Sydney.
The gelding had been nominated for both Randwick and Moonee Valley, but the team has opted to keep him in Victoria for the Travis Harrison Cup (2040m) after he was listed as the sixth emergency for the Premier’s Cup Prelude (1800m) in Sydney.
Annabel Archibald noted the track conditions in Sydney would have suited perfectly, but the uncertainty around gaining a start made the decision for them.
“I was hoping to send him to Sydney because he absolutely loves bottomless ground, but he’s sixth emergency, so he’ll stay here,” she said.
“His form has been consistent, but all his form in Europe has been on bottomless ground, so if we can get him on that sort of ground, he’s vastly superior.
“But being sixth emergency in Sydney, you can’t wait to Saturday morning to make that call as he’s stabled here.
“He’s got a light weight on Saturday and if he can roll along up on the pace, I’d like to think he’s the type of horse that will suit The Valley.”
Nellie Leylax has already had five wins in the UK before heading to Australia, where he has put in four solid performances under the Archibald banner.
He was most recently seen finishing fourth behind Sayedaty Sadaty at Flemington on July 19, a horse he meets again on Saturday.
“He’s a horse that races up on speed,” Archibald added.
“He’s a genuine, tough, one-paced horse that we thought would be good to try The Valley with.
“I thought his run was good last start at Flemington. He was coming again on the line.
“It’s his first preparation here, having come from overseas, and he looks a nice horse.”
Meanwhile, I Am The Empire will also represent the stable at The Valley when he contests the Donnellans The Tyreman Handicap (2500m).
That horse claimed his sixth win from 34 starts with a frontrunning display over 2400m at Sandown late last month.
“He’s hard to catch but when he’s on song like that, he’s a nice genuine horse,” Archibald said.
