Mark Newnham has revealed that talented colt Bull Point is likely to ridden close to the speed when he returns to racing in the Group 3 Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Bull Point will start his 2014 Melbourne Festival Of Racing campaign in the Manfred Stakes at Caulfield tomorrow. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Bull Point has not been seen at the races since his remarkable performance in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 14 when he stormed home, after tailing off the back of the field in the early stages of the race, to finish third behind Zoustar and Dissident.
The Fastnet Rock colt showed that he has the ability to sit off the pace and finish strongly, but Newnham, the stable foreman for Gai Waterhouse, told Racing Ahead this morning that the three-year-old will return to his usual racing pattern.
“I think that would be Gai’s preferred option,” Newnham said.
“She will talk with Damien and work out what is best for the horse.
“He has shown that he is versatile enough to adapt to different conditions and when you have Damien on you don’t have to tell him too much.”
Bull Point made his racing debut with a win in the Tab.Com.Au Handicap (1000m) at Royal Randwick on June 10 last year and worked his way through the grades impressively during his debut campaign.
He suffered his first defeat when he missed the start and traveled wide in the Australian Turf Club Handicap (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on July 6, but returned to the winners stall with a victory in the Forum Group Handicap (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on July 20.
Bull Point made his black type racing debut with a fourth place finish behind Eurozone in the Listed The Rosebud (1200m) and finished a narrow second behind Stamina at Rosehill Gardens on August 31 before his impressive Golden Rose Stakes performance.
Newnham said that Bull Point did everything that was asked of him during his maiden preparation, but said that the stable always thought that he would be a better horse when he developed into a more mature three-year-old.
“He has come back in really good order,” Newnham said.
“His last preparation was his first racing preparation and he ended up in Group 1 class, so they can’t do much more than that.
“He was always a colt that would develop as a three-year-old.”
Bull Point ($4) is currently on the second line of Manfred Stakes betting markets; with Prince Harada an easing favourite at odds of $3.30.
