Glen Thompson welcomes Melbourne’s rains and forecast extras while targeting a Melbourne Cup invitation through Whisky On The Hill.
Flemington’s Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) on Saturday serves as a golden ticket to the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at the venue in November.
The gelding Whisky On The Hill battles 12 foes for it, with his handler conceding the path to the race has encountered hurdles.
Fourth appearance this time in, he notched sixth last out to Birdman in Caulfield’s Peter Young Stakes (1800m) on March 14.
Earlier, midfield in the Australian Cup Prelude (2000m) a week before, after a decent fifth resuming over 1600m at Caulfield February 7.
Saturday loomed large since Whisky On The Hill’s win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington’s Melbourne Cup period.
“It’s been the plan since the time he came in, but we haven’t had the smoothest of preps,” Thompson said.
“He missed a run early on which really put us on the backfoot.
It’s unfortunate the programming here isn’t ideal to get to a race like this as there was no ideal lead-up, only a 2000-metre race three weeks beforehand.
He was supposed to run over 2000-metres at Caulfield two weeks before the Flemington race, but he pulled a shoe off and stood on a nail, so he missed that run.
We ran him at Flemington and I couldn’t go third-up into a 2600-metre race, so I dropped him back in distance and ran in the Peter Young.
He’s fit enough for it. He wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think he was.
The bit of rain forecast is ideal, it doesn’t look an overly strong race, but he hasn’t had the perfect prep for it.”
An alternative path includes the Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on April 11 for Whisky On The Hill, Thompson added, if rains intensify elsewhere.
“I tossed up about aborting this race before the 1800-metre at Caulfield and running in the Manion Cup in Sydney, but then he’s got this 2600-metre run under the belt if we do decide to go to Sydney,” Thompson said.
Discover leading betting sites offering superb odds for the Roy Higgins showdown.