It has been just one year since Dom Sutton began his training career in his own right, and he has already celebrated his first top-tier victory, with Feroce claiming the Group 1 Australian Guineas in March 2025. Sutton now has his sights set on further elite success, preparing two runners for the Group 2 Tesio Stakes at Flemington this Saturday, which he sees as a crucial stepping stone towards a Group 1 campaign during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The former jumps jockey, hailing from the UK, will saddle up Classic Gem and After Summer for the mares’ race over 2040 metres. The latter mare is earmarked for a tilt at the Group 2 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, also held at Flemington on November 7.
After Summer commenced her current campaign with an eighth-place finish in the Group 2 Stocks Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield on September 27. However, her form includes placings over 2000m and 2400m at Group 1 level in Sydney, suggesting that the 2040m distance of the Tesio Stakes is well within her capabilities.
“Her run was better over a mile (first-up) this time around than what is was over the same distance last prep but she is just an out-and-out stayer so those horses were just too sharp for her, especially at that level,” Sutton said. “She held her ground to the line and through the line jockey Billy Egan said she really picked up the bridle so out to 2000, at Flemington, I still think it is on the short side for her but it will be best when we go to the Queen Elizabeth.
“It will be ideal if she can set herself up for that though she hasn’t changed much physically as she’s not an overly big mare, but she just comes into her own over the distances. She has a good heart and lungs.”
Classic Gem, who finally broke her maiden status two starts ago at Bendigo after ten attempts, showed a strong finish last start at Caulfield over 1700m while carrying 59 kilograms.
This same weight was also assigned to her when she secured a fourth placing in the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick in April.
“I haven’t been frustrated with her because I thought last prep we threw her in the deep end in three-year-old group races and she performed well. She ran fourth in the Oaks and we probably went one run too many at Flemington after that trying to knock her maiden over,” Sutton stated. “I thought she was excellent the other day over a mile over a trip too short.”
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