Trainer Joseph Pride has confirmed talented stayer Destiny’s Kiss will not contest the featured Grafton Cup (2350m) on July 10th, but will instead briefly return to the spelling paddock ahead of a busy spring preparation.
Destiny's Kiss will briefly return to the paddock ahead of the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo: Steve Hart
Producing an exceptional final straight sprint to hunt down break-away leader Astro Avalanche and win the Stayers Cup (3200m) on June 7th, the Power Of Destiny gelding finishing fifth behind four Chris Waller-trained rivals in the Listed Winter Cup (2400m) last weekend.
Pleased with the six-race preparation completed this time in, Pride said Destiny’s Kiss will be geared towards an appearance in the Group 1 Metropolitan (2400m) on October 4th.
“He is a lovely little horse and I have to say he is one of my favourites,” Pride told AAP.
“Grafton is there but my feeling is he can have three weeks off and get ready for the Newcastle Cup.
“Then maybe he could have a shot at race like the Metropolitan. If he got a wet track he would be really competitive down in the weights.
“I think it’s too much to ask him to go to Grafton.”
Contesting an impressive record of 10 wins and nine minor places from 35 competitive race starts to date, Destiny’s Kiss finished fifth in the 2013 edition of the Grafton Cup and continued to build in form and class over a notable campaign through late spring/early summer.
Arguably hitting peak condition over his current campaign, the gelding out of A Fairy’s Kiss ran fifth amongst classy competition in the Group 3 Doncaster Prelude (1500m) first-up before beating Wistful and Vilanova to the line in the Dunkirk 3.y.o+ BM95 (1600m) on April 25th.
Running on from the rear of the field to finish fifth in the Listed Scone Cup (1600m) on May 16th, Destiny’s Kiss made up good ground but was unable to catch a runaway La Amistad in the Listed QJ McKell Quality; his only other race start prior to the Stayers Cup.
