Capital Gain to be set for the Australian Derby

Newly crowned Group 1 winner Capital Gain will head to the spelling paddock before being set for an Australian Derby campaign during the 2018 Sydney Autumn Carnival.

Capital Gain, above winning the J.J. Atkins at Doomben, will be set for the 2018 Australian Derby at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Capital Gain, above winning the J.J. Atkins at Doomben, will be set for the 2018 Australian Derby at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Trainer Paul Butterworth is still pinching himself after Capital Gain with local hoop Jim Byrne in the saddle stormed home to win the Group 1 $600,000 BMW J.J. Atkins (1600m) at Doomben last Sarurday, giving the Eagle Farm trainer his first Group 1 success.

“It’s hard to put into words. It definitely hasn’t sunk in,” Butterworth told The Courier-Mail.

Butterworth said that Capital Gain will bypass the Spring Carnival and after a good spell will prepared the Ad Valorem gelding for the Group 1 $2m Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick over ‘The Championships’.

“Since he first started he’s only had nine days off,” Butterworth said.

“I would say the Sydney Derby is the logical option.

“Melbourne’s just going to come too quick.

“He will probably have three or four months in the paddock and then we will wind him up for Sydney.”

Butterworth is confident his huge group of owners will resist the temptation to sell Capital Gain to overseas buyers after an offer of $700,000 was turned down prior to the running of the J.J. Atkins.

“I’m pretty sure we will get some more offers, but speaking to the owners (Saturday) night, I’m pretty sure he will be staying,” Butterworth said.

“Everyone wants to enjoy the ride. There’s a massive group of them and no one’s really after the money, they want the experience so at this stage he stays.”

Capital Gain was only having his eighth race start when he record his second win in the J.J. Atkins but Jim Byrne said that at one stage during the race a win looked in jeopardy when the gelding tried to ran off the track at the 1350m mark.

“He tried to duck up the chute at the 1350m. There was a little bit of a scrimmage and all of a sudden he’s looked at the 1350m chute and tried to go down there,’’ Byrne said.

Capital Gain was sent out at the good odds of $19 and was clearly the best two year old in the J.J. Atkins after he was forced to circle the field from the 800m and was six to seven horses wide on the home turn before recording a quarter of a lengths win over the Ciaron Maher trainer Aloisia ($17).

The odds on favourite Melody Belle ($1.75) raced on the pace but faded in the straight to finish in tenth position.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.