Cambridge trainer Trent Busuttin has nominated the Group 3 $150,000 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Warwick Farm on Saturday as El Roca’s next Sydney Autumn Carnival start.
El Roca to run in the Liverpool City Cup. Photo by Steve Hart.
Busuttin also entered the Fastnet Rock colt in the Group 1 $500,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) but that was only as a precaution if he failed to gain a start in the Liverpool City Cup.
“We put him in the Chipping Norton in case he didn’t get a run in the Liverpool City Cup,” Busuttin told AAP.
Busuttin was forced to change Carnival plans for his smart three year old who was a late scratching from the Group 2 $200,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill last Saturday because a treatment issue.
The Kiwi trainer and his vet Dr David Garth were both fined $2000 for treating El Roca on Friday morning, the day before he was due to race, with an alkalinising agent which was against the Australian Rules of Ruling.
“It’s disappointing all this has happened. It was a genuine mistake,” Busuttin said.
Busuttin had also contemplated running El Roca in the Listed $120,000 Group One Canberra Guineas (1400m) at Canberra on Sunday but decided against the three hour each way road trip on top of the race less than a week out from the Group 1 $600,000 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick on March 15.
“We thought about the Canberra Guineas on Sunday which would be the most suitable race but it would mean a three-hour road trip there and back and only six days to the Guineas,” Busuttin said.
El Roca broke through for his initial Australian win with an impressive victory with Hugh Bowman in the Listed $125,000 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on February 15 and was the pre post favourite for the Hobartville Stakes before his untimely withdrawal.
Christian Reith takes over from Bowman this week in the Liverpool City Cup which has attracted seventeen entries including Pinwheel, Rain Affair, Terravista, Howmuchdoyouloveme and Ninth Legion.
The Peter Snowden trained Pinwheel looks well placed after running third to Moment Of Change in the Group 1 $500,000 Cathay Pacific Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 22.
And trainer Joe Pride will be looking from a better showing from Rain Affair who has won a Warwick Farm barrier trial since failing to beat a runner home in the Group 2 $200,000 SCSI Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 8.
Stablemate Terravista has also been nominated after winning the Group 3 $150,000 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 22 and the John O’Shea trained White Sage has her chance to get back in the winner’s stall after suffering her first defeat when third to Catkins in the Group 2 $175,000 NSW Thoroughbred Breeders Classic (1200m) at Rosehill on February 15.
And Ninth Legion from the Team Hawkes stable will be having his first run since winning the Group 2 $175,000 Villiers Stakes (1550m) on the Kensington track at Randwick on December 14.
