Trainer Joe Pride has confirmed that Ball Of Muscle is set to contest the 2015 Caulfield Sprint this weekend as he builds towards the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot during the Perth Summer Racing Carnival.
Ball Of Muscle will have the chance to return to winning form in the 2015 Caulfield Sprint this weekend. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Ball Of Muscle started his 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a slightly disappointing performance in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick on September 5, but he produced an improved performance in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at Royal Randwick on September 19 before he produced the best effort of his career to date to finish second behind Buffering in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 2.
Pride was thrilled with the performance of Ball Of Muscle in the Moir Stakes and he told Racing Ahead that son of Dubawi will likely run in the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1000m) this weekend before he heads to Perth for the Winterbottom Stakes.
“He is really well and I am very happy with him,” Pride said.
“It was his first run at Group 1 level and to take on a seasoned horse like Buffering under his favourite conditions and run him to a long neck at weight-for-age, I was really proud of his performance.
“He has made good progress.
“I have in mind now to take him over to Perth for the Winterbottom and it is just a matter of whether he runs in the Caulfield Sprint this week or the Manikato as his lead-up.
“At this stage I am tempted to run him this week.”
Tiger Tees was also included in the 2015 Caulfield Sprint nominations that were released yesterday as well as those for the for the City Tattersall’s Club Lightning at Royal Randwick, but Pride confirmed that he want to wait until he found a wet track before he ran the eight-year-old again.
“I am unlikely to accept with Tiger Tees,” Pride said.
“I was hoping for some give in the track next time I run him and looking at what was at Caulfield on last week I would be very reluctant to run him on a track that firm.
“We will see how the week unfolds, I need to wait for a soft track to run him because I can only run him so many times on a firm surface before he starts to not try as hard, which is the last thing that I want.”
The 2015 Caulfield Sprint field will be released tomorrow and is set to include the likes of Lumosty, Moment Of Change, Knoydart, Furnaces, Fontiton, Flamberge and Headwater.
The Caulfield Sprint is one of the feature races this weekend and you can receive Best Tote or Starting Price plus 20% with leading online bookmaker Ladbrokes.
