Darley’s Group 1 winning three year old Complacent is still recovering from a tendon injury and will miss the 2014 Spring Carnival.
Complacent won't be seen on the racetrack until possibly the 2015 Autumn Carnival. Photo by Steve Hart.
Complacent had been marked for a Cups campaign after winning the Group 1 $400,000 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick during last year’s Sydney Spring Carnival.
And a second to Polanski in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington at his next start on November 2 also stamped his potential as a future staying star but a tendon injury sustain in his preparation for the this year’s Autumn Carnival will see the Auhorized colt out until next Autumn.
“He’s on a long, extended rehabilitation program from that (injury) and unfortunately he’s going to miss the Spring,” Darley racing manager Jason Walsh told Racing Victoria News.
“But hopefully we can have him back for the autumn and then hopefully 2015 might be his year (for the Cups).
“He’s a highly-talented colt, the prognosis would probably only be fair to make it back to a decent level on the racecourse but given the ability he’s shown us we’re more than keen to give him his chance.”
A successful return to the racetrack in the Autumn next year will boost the confidence of Darley to prepare Complacent for a 2015 Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup campaign.
Complacent made a quick rise up through the ranks and after winning a 1400m Hawkesbury maiden at his third race start went on to win the Group 3 $200,000 PJ’s Irish Pub Parramatta Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill before claiming the Spring Champion Stakes.
The strength of the Victoria Derby form shone through in the Autumn with fourth and fifth placegetters, Criterion and Tupac Amaru going on to run the quinella in the Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick in the Autumn.
While Tupac Amaru raced to his full potential when runner up in the Australian Derby, Walsh considers the Street Cry gelding slightly below the top level of stayers.
“We’ve probably got him pegged as being a tier below the top stayers, so at this stage of proceedings we wouldn’t have any of the major Melbourne spring staying races in mind for him but we’ll certainly give him his chance to progress through the grades,” Walsh said.
“A horse like him and (Tulloch Stakes winner) Gallatin would probably head towards the Coongy Handicap and then perhaps a race like the Zipping Classic or Sandown Cup over two miles on the last day at Sandown look really nice races on paper for those type of horses.”
The Coogny Handicap, now run as the Group 3 $150,000 David Jones Cup (2000m) will be run at Caulfield on October 18 while the Group 2 $350,000 Zipping Classic (2400m) and the Listed $150,000 Sportingbet Sandown Cup (3200m) are both run at Sandown on November 15.
