Connections are hoping that talented stayer Sangster can earn a start in the 2014 Caulfield Cup field by winning the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield on October 11.
Sangster finished a close second behind The Cleaner in the 2014 JRA Cup at Moonee Valley on Friday night. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
The Herbert Power Stakes is the final race that offers the winner ballot exempt entry into the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) that will be held at Caulfield on October 18 and co-trainer Natalie Young is hopeful that the 2011 Victoria Derby winner is capable of taking out the Group 2 event after he returned to a semblance of his best form with a fast-finishing second behind The Cleaner in the Group 3 JRA Cup (2040m) at Moonee Valley on September 26.
“It was so nice to see him back and we know a lot of people were saying what are they doing bringing him back over, but we knew the horse was really well in himself,” Young told The New Zealand Racing Desk.
“In another stride he would have got The Cleaner, who is a really good horse, and he’s come through the race great and he feels really good.
“The 2400 metres will be ideal for him (in the Herbert Power Stakes) and if he won that then he’d be on a Caulfield Cup path.
“If not, there are plenty of other options over here like the Moonee Valley Cup and the Sandown Cup and they are winnable races for him.”
The 2014 edition of the Herbert Power Stakes is expected to draw a strong field of stayers and is set to feature up to four European-trained Spring Racing Carnival contenders.
The OTI Racing-owned duo of Van Percy and Renew are both set to run in the Herbert Power Stakes and both would need to win the race to be any chance of running in the Caulfield Cup, while Protectionist and Nuntius are also set to contest the Group 2 event.
Protectionist is assured of a start in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4 and is set to run in the Herbert Power Stakes rather than the Caulfield Cup as his main lead-up event for ‘the race that stops a nation’, while Nuntius will likely need to win a lead-up event to be any chance of making the 2014 Melbourne Cup field.
Sangster is currently available at 2014 Caulfield Cup odds of $101 and is priced at $81 in the 2014 Melbourne Cup betting market with Ladbrokes Australia.
