Lindsay Park’s progressive stayer, The Western Front, is scheduled to participate in Saturday’s $150,000 Banjo Paterson Series Final at Flemington, continuing his extensive campaign.
The 2600-metre race represents the tenth start for the five-year-old gelding this season, which commenced with a fourth over 1600m at Flemington on January 10.
He has since secured four wins, including the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m). Co-trainer Ben Hayes expressed surprise at the length of the campaign but is content with the horse’s condition and believes further success is achievable.
“When you get them fit you keep them happy and in a rhythm and these days, with technology, trainers are able to keep horses up for longer,” he said.
“It’s good for them, they enjoy being in work. Some don’t, so you put them in the paddock.
“He’s a horse we’d like to get his rating up a bit more to target maybe the back-end of spring with him.
“He could bob up over Cup Week running in one of those staying races.”
Hayes indicated that the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) on Champions Day is a more realistic target this year than the $10m Melbourne Cup (3200m).
The Western Front is coming off a second-place finish to Vegas Jack at Flemington on June 20, a run where he encountered a tough trip from an outside barrier. Hayes is confident that with improved luck in running, the gelding can reverse the placings.
“He probably had the hardest run in the race,” Hayes, who trains with his brother Will and JD, stated regarding the 1-1/4-length defeat.
“He had no luck at all. He was wide the whole trip, had to work in the middle stages, hit the front early and just got run over late.
“But he’s come through the run well.”
Daniel Stackhouse will ride The Western Front, who meets Vegas Jack 1.5kg better in the weights from their last start. The gelding will jump from barrier six, while Vegas Jack is drawn in barrier nine.
The Western Front is the $4.20 favourite, with Vegas Jack at $7, and Wuddzz is rated at $5.
Check out the available racing odds for the Banjo Paterson Series Final at Flemington.