Sertorius will start his spring preparation in the 2014 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday and co-trainer Jamie Edwards has revealed that he would be happy if the talented stayer can just beat home a runner in the Group 1 event.
Sertorius will face a talented field in the 2014 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Sertorius will be returning to the races for the first time since he finished a tough third behind The Offer in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Royal Randwick on April 19 and Edwards is not expecting a great deal from the Galileo gelding’s first-up start.
The seven-year-old has an excellent first-up record and finished second behind Moment Of Change over the 1400 metre course at Caulfield in the Futurity Stakes (1400m) earlier this year, but Edwards told Racing Ahead that Sertorius is not as fresh as he has been for his previous campaigns heading into the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m).
“This is the first prep we have given him when he has also had a big autumn,” Edwards said.
“This time in he has had a big autumn as well and I don’t think that he is as sharp as he has been in the past, but he is certainly going as good.
“If he can beat one home I will be happy against that mob; we could take a soft option and go to another race with him, but I think you are kidding yourself.
“If you run him against these horses you know exactly where you are going to sit.
“He is certainly not out there to win a Memsie and I will be more guided by what Craig (Williams) says as to how he is going.”
While Edwards does not believe that Sertorius is a winning chance in the Memsie Stakes, he is happy with the physical condition of the tough gelding and he believes that he is in for a big spring preparation.
Sertorius has been included in the nominations for both the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m), but Edwards is leaning towards running the Group 2 winner in the Caulfield Cup and is hoping to have Sertorius peaking for the Group 1 event fourth-up.
“He had his final trackwork gallop this morning on the course proper at Geelong,” Edwards said.
“It is a little bit difficult because the track was probably a heavy 8 or a heavy 9 and it was not the ideal surface to have your final gallop going into your first-up run, but Josh Cartwright rode him and was really happy.
“He is going well, he looks fantastic and he will parade very well on Saturday.
“He has proven himself at weight-for-age last time in and we will throw him at the deep end and see if he sinks or swims.
“He is certainly going good and I can’t fault the horse.
“1400 isn’t his go obviously, but we have now had three big solid preps and it looks like fourth up over 2400 is his go.
“We will run him at weight-for-age and then we meet most of these horses five or six kilos better in the Caulfield Cup if we head that way.”
Sertorius is currently available at 2014 Caulfield Cup odds of $34 in the betting market with Ladbrokes Australia.
