Caulfield hosting the William Reid Stakes could pose a challenge for Baraqiel, though the sprinter prepared by Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin is geared toward the feature.
Normally contested at Moonee Valley, the William Reid Stakes (1200m) brings the curtain down on Melbourne’s Group 1 events each year.
With reconstruction keeping Moonee Valley sidelined through to the 2027 Cox Plate, this year’s Group 1 sprint shifts to Caulfield.
Baraqiel has thrived at Moonee Valley previously, taking the Group 1 Moir Stakes and placing second in last spring’s Manikato Stakes, and he notched a win there at the trip during June 2024 at Caulfield.
Approaching Saturday’s race, his form reads a fourth to Tentyris in the February 14 Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.
He was due to contest the March 7 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) but was withdrawn right before after blood work flagged issues.
“He literally had a 24-hour virus,” co-trainer Troy Corstens said.
“He left a little bit of feed, which is very unlike him, so we knew straight away something wasn’t right.
“So, you check all extremities.
“Was there a bird in his feed? – No. Was there anything else wrong? No. Did he have water? Yes, but then his temperature was just on the edge.
“So, we took a blood, and it showed it wasn’t right. His markers were up a little bit which told us he wasn’t spot on.
“He was a tiny bit dull in the eye, which one of the staff picked up on straight away, and in the end, we couldn’t run him.
“We don’t take chances, especially going into a Group 1 like that, you need to be spot on.
“If they’re not, you can run them and then flatten them and then it’s preparation over.”
The Corstens and Larkin yard has been on a roll, claiming a double at Caulfield last Saturday to go with their treble from February 21 at the same circuit.
Thankfully, Baraqiel’s preparation endures.
A winning jump-out at Flemington last Friday confirmed his readiness for the team.
“He trialled last week and we were really pleased with it. He seems great,” Corstens said.
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