The Group 2 $250,000 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 5 will be Worthy Cause’s next start after he booked a southern Spring Carnival campaign with an impressive comeback win at Doomben last Saturday.
Trainer John Zielke, above with Worthy Cause, has mapped out an ambitious Spring Carnival program for the four year old. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Trainer John Zielke gave Worthy Cause a solid grounding before producing him a first up winner in the $65,000 TEECE AIR-CON BenchMark 85 Handicap (1350m) and has set out an ambitious Spring program in Sydney and Melbourne which includes the Group 1 $1m Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 31.
Zielke then intends to return home to the Sunshine State and prepare the four year old for the $1m Magic Millions Trophy (1800m) at the Gold Coast on January 9.
“He’s no longer a little kid. He’s a lot bigger and stronger and more mature now,” Zielke told Racing Queensland News.
“He will have four runs in Sydney then go to Melbourne for two runs then come home for the $1 million Magic Millions stayers race at the Gold Coast in January.”
“He will run in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington on October 31. We won’t target the Cox Plate this year but maybe next year.”
Worthy Cause’s Sydney schedule will include the Group 2 $200,000 Hill Stakes (2000m) on September 19 and the Group 3 $125,000 Craven Plate (2000m) on October 3, both at Randwick.
The Group 3 $150,000 David Jones Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on October 17 has also been pencilled in before heading to Flemington for the weight for age Mackinnon Stakes on Derby Day and a run in the Group 3 $150,000 Eclipse Stakes (1800m) at Sandown on November 14 is also a possibility.
Zielke first trumpeted his high opinion of Worthy Cause when he won the Group 3 $125,000 Surfers Paradise RSL Gunsynd Classic (1600m) at the Gold Coast at the start of the Queensland Winter Carnival.
The Choisir colt then went on to run third to subsequent Queensland Oaks winner Winx in the Group 3 $125,000 XXXX Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast on May 16 and rounded off his Winter Carnival with a respectable seventh to Magicool in the Group 1 $600,000 Channel 7 Queensland Derby (2200m) at Doomben on June 6.
