Leading Perth trainer Adam Durrant is keen to step last Saturday’s Ascot winner Crumpet O’Reilly up in distance and has pencilled in the Listed $100,000 W.A. St Leger (2100m) at Ascot on December 21.
Crumpet O’Reilly made it four wins on the trot this campaign and after winning his maiden over 1300m at Northam on October 27, continued on his winning way to take out the Benchmark 60+ over 1500m on Saturday.
Durrant said that the O’Reilly four year old is a potential stayer of the future and an anticipated good showing over the 2100m of the St Leger will tempt Durrant to head for a cups program next year.
“Crumpet O’Reilly is a potential stayer and looks ready for longer journeys,” Durrant told The West Australian.
“He’s shaping as a cups horse. If heading to the St Leger, he’ll have a lead-up race one week earlier.”
Durrant is currently leading the Perth trainer’s premiership on twenty-eight wins and will saddle up his stable star Mr Moet in Saturday’s Group 1 $500,000 TAB Touch – Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot on Saturday.
Mr Moet is also among the twenty-four entries for the Group 2 $250,000 LD Total – C.B. Cox Stakes (2100m) at Ascot on December 21when nominations closed today.
Durrant’s stable star is looking to for back to back wins in the C.B. Cox Stakes after beating Chester Road and Ranger last year.
That win topped off a great Summer carnival for Durrant and Mr Moet after they won the Group 1 $1m Carlton Draught – Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot and finished runner-up in the Kingston Town Classic the following start.
Mr Moet is also one of forty-three nominations for the Group 2 $500,000 Golden River Developments Perth Cup (2400m) at Ascot on January 1 and Durrant is hoping to go one better than last year after running second to Talent Show.