Trainer Joseph O’Brien, despite facing a frustrating run with his major Spring Carnival contenders, is preparing to field one final runner at Sandown next Saturday.
Small Fry will be O’Brien’s last competitor of the Melbourne spring season, contesting the $750,000 Zipping Classic. This 2400-metre Group 2 event marks Small Fry’s final outing for O’Brien before he transfers to the Phillip and Tommy Stokes stable, and the trainer is hoping for a triumphant send-off.
“He’s going to run in the Zipping, he had a nice run at Geelong obviously and that’s the plan for him,” stated O’Brien.
“He’s owned by OTI, Terry Henderson and the team there, and we love working with the guys and it would be nice if he could finish off the couple of weeks here on good note.”
O’Brien had nine horses in the Werribee quarantine centre this spring, with five of them participating in the Melbourne Cup. Sons And Lovers achieved the team’s best finish, coming in fourth.
Defiantly, once a frontrunner in Melbourne Cup betting, finished fourth in his sole start at Saturday’s Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m), having been unable to contest the Melbourne Cup.
Small Fry recorded O’Brien’s best result of the spring carnival when he finished second in the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m). He was defeated by a narrow half-length margin by Point Of Law, who subsequently went on to win the Melbourne Cup.
O’Brien humorously lamented his choice of the Geelong Cup to attempt to secure a Melbourne Cup start for Small Fry, but admitted it did confirm the horse was performing well.
“We picked the wrong prep,” O’Brien said, laughing.
“But he seems in good form anyway. We don’t do a lot with him, but he seems in good form and it looks like a nice spot for him.”
Small Fry could face considerable competition at Sandown. Ciaron Maher is considering a start for Juja Kibo and Middle Earth, who placed in the last two Melbourne Cups, and last year’s winner She’s A Hustler is also expected to be in the field.
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