Arabian Gold is set to contest the 2015 Hollindale Stakes and trainer David Vandyke believes that his star mare is thriving ahead of the Group 2 event at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Arabian Gold will have the chance to return to winning form in the 2015 Hollindale Stakes. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Arabian Gold returned to racing with a flat performance in the Group 3 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm on February 28, but she produced a much improved performance to finish a luckless sixth in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 14 and finished in the same position in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 6.
Vandyke told RSN this morning that Arabian Gold did not have a great deal of luck in the Doncaster Mile, but had trained on strongly coming out of the race and can produce an improved performance in the 2015 Hollindale Stakes.
“She was unlucky,” Vandyke said.
“She was in a beautiful spot coming into the straight, but missed clear running and had to change course a couple of times.
“She picked up late and got to the line as well as anything and it was a great run and unfortunate that we just couldn’t finish in the money.
“The fact that it was changed from the Saturday to the Monday did dent our confidence because we weren’t able to work on the Saturday morning because the meeting was transferred after the closing of the track.
“We couldn’t do anything on the Saturday and we had to do fast work on the Sunday, which isn’t ideal.
“Her preparation going into the Hollindale on Saturday has been much better and I think the step-up to 1800 is also a big plus.
“She looks fitter and part of that might be because of the trip up to Queensland and I am happy with how she has settled in.
“I think she will produce a better performance than she did in the Doncaster.”
Arabian Gold has been in Queensland for a week and Vandyke said that he has been impressed with the way that the Dubawi mare has settled in to her new environment.
Vandyke confirmed that Arabian Gold worked on the course proper at the Gold Coast this morning and he said that he couldn’t have been happier with the mares’ final piece of trackwork before the Hollindale Stakes.
“She worked on the outside of the course proper at the Gold Coast about half an hour ago and put in a very nice gallop,” Vandyke said.
“She worked up strongly on the bit on the rain affected track which she relishes in and she has come through that gallop well.
“All is looking positive for Saturday.”
Arabian Gold will be having her first start in Queensland since she finished second behind Tinto in the 2014 edition of the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m).
