It would be fair to say that Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young were not that happy seeing barrier 16 against the name of Forgot You in the Caulfield Guineas.
But the last start winner of the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) at The Valley is drawn next to Guineas favourite Anamoe in Saturday’s 1600m Group 1 contest for three-year-olds.
Forgot You has shown the potential to be winning a Group 1 feature like to the Guineas, but at the same time maybe wanting a rise in trip.
But a stallion making race like the Caulfield Guineas only comes around once a year, and Forgot You has the runs on the board to be worthy of taking his place on Saturday.
“He’s probably looking for a little further now, but when you’ve got two wins going into a Guineas, and being a Savabeel colt, you’ve got to have a stab,” Young said.
“He’s a very relaxed colt and a roomier track like Caulfield, hopefully he’ll get round it a bit better and he won’t hit that flat spot like he can.
“I can’t fault the way he’s going into it. He’s come through that last run leaping and bounding around.”
Forgot You has hit a flat spot in both his wins at The Valley in early September and again on September 24 in the Stutt Stakes but has shown great determination.
Young said she was daring to dream of a Guineas win that could lead to a start in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 23.
If that failed to eventuate then the stable would resort to their original plan of aiming towards the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on October 30 which may in turn lead to a start in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 2.
“But we’ve got to get through one race at a time first,” Young said.
Busuttin and Young will also saddle up Zerelle and Riverplate in Saturday’s Guineas.
Anamoe has been easy in early betting with TAB from $2.30 out to $2.50 while there has been a good early push for second favourite Artorius, who drew gate two, firming from $4.50 into $3.50 and the pair are the only two runners under $13.