Trainer Jamie Edwards is confident that Sertorius has plenty of improvement in front of him heading into the 2014 The BMW Stakes at Rosehill Gardens this weekend.
Sertorius is stepping up to 2400 metres for the first time since he took out the 2013 Zipping Classic. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Sertorius started his autumn preparation with a second place finish in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 22 and finished third in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on March 8 before making his Sydney racing debut with a fifth place finish in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22.
Edwards told Racing Ahead that Sertorius did not settle in well in Sydney and sweated up badly before the running of the Ranvet Stakes, but is hoping that a change in routine will help the son of Galileo settle before The BMW Stakes this weekend.
“I think that you will find that we have a couple of lengths up our sleeves from last time,” Edwards said.
“He travelled up ok, but at the races he went to water and was horribly sweaty and just didn’t parade.
“If you had seen him in the enclosure you would have said well he will run last, so to run fifth I thought it was fantastic.
“He is such a different horse here at home to how he is away, so we are doing things a little bit differently.
“This time I am taking him up a day earlier and taking a pony with him.
“Hopefully the pony at the races will get him to settle and I think that there is a natural two or three lengths progression from what we saw.”
Sertorius will be stepping up to 2400 metres for the first time this preparation and has an excellent record over the trip; winning the Listed Bendigo Cup (2400m) and Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival.
Edwards believes that Sertorius will relish the step-up in trip and revealed that he will be instructing jockey Ryan Maloney to make sure that a Group 1 event is run at a strong tempo.
“The 2400 metres is going to suit him better than the 2000,” Edwards said.
“If they ease it off we will make the tempo.
“A tough 2400 metres is going to suit us and it looks like it is going to be a rain affected track.
“I know if I was training the It’s A Dundeel’s and the Fiorente’s and those sort of horses, if I was going to run in a 2000 metres worth, $4 million I’m not sure that I would want a gut-busting run over 2400 metres on a heavy track two weeks before.
“I think the harder the tempo the better for us and if there isn’t a good tempo I will be telling Ryan to make sure that there is.”
The 2014 BMW Stakes final field will be released later this morning and is set to include Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente, Kiwi superstar It’s A Dundeel and Ranvet Stakes winner Silent Achiever.
