Stirling Osland is hoping to achieve his first Listed race win with So You Are before the four-year-old gelding concludes his time at the Armidale stables.
The four-year-old gelding has finished in the placings at his last two starts behind Bjorn Baker’s Thebudgiesmugla, and Osland has indicated that So You Are will soon be transferred to Sydney.
“He’s heading to Bjorn’s after this start for us,” Osland said.
“He’ll be in Sydney on Friday, have a couple of weeks let up, and then starting with Bjorn as a five-year-old there.
“He’s got to the stage now where he’s a genuine competitor in Group and Listed races every start, so he’s done as much as he can for us and just the travel – he spends 30 hours a month on a float.
“Between driving to Sydney and Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast so coming into spring carnival time, there’ll be a lot of options for a horse like him, we’d spoken to Stewie (Ramsey, owner) that Grafton would be the end of it.”
A triumph in Thursday’s Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) would mark a perfect farewell for So You Are, whom Timeform ranks as the most accomplished horse Osland has trained to date, following his second-place finish in the Caloundra Cup.
“He’s good as gold,” Osland enthused.
“He’s done a lot of travelling but he travels well and he’s come through it nicely.
“He’s probably going as well as ever, he’s always very consistent, through some good races behind a lot of good horses so I think Grafton looks a nice race for us.”
While Osland is content to bypass a clash with Thebudgiesmugla, he highlighted the even-money favourite King Pedro as the horse to be wary of.
“The favourite won well in that Winter Cup last start but I think our form is probably more solid than his,” Osland said.
“Probably us and Moods’ horse (Pounding), we were probably on par that day but he scratched.
“He’s drawn well in barrier two, he should get a nice run just behind the speed and I think we’re probably coming out of the stronger form line, he’s been in group or listed his past four starts.
“I think he’s well placed, this is a good finish point for him, to get a Listed winner at Grafton, we spend a lot of time racing there, it’d be nice to top it off.”
So You Are is currently offered at $7.50 for the $200,000 feature event on Thursday, which concludes the two-day carnival, headlined by the Ramornie Handicap on Wednesday.
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