In-form Fabrizio will be looking for a free entry for the Doncaster Mile when he contested the Group 2 $250,000 Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on December 17.
Fabrizio, above, will be prepared for the Villiers Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The winner of Villiers gains an automatic entry into the field for the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 1, the first day of the 2017 ‘The Championships.’
Fabrizio has won four of his last six starts and collected his first Stakes win with a three and a quarter lengths win in the Listed $150,000 James Boag’s Premium Stakes (1800m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.
That win followed an all the way victory in a 1600m BenchMark 93 Handicap at Randwick on October 15.
“It was a nice freshen-up for him but he’s kept ticking over and is thriving at present and enjoying his racing,” co- trainer Adian Bott told AAP.
“The plan would be to try to win the Villiers and qualify him for the Doncaster.”
Bott and co-trainer Gai Waterhouse hold a high opinion of Fabrizio and they were willing to test the five year old at the highest level and after he scored an all the way win a 1600m BenchMark 85 Handicap at Randwick on September 17, sent him around in the Group 1 $1m Epsom (1600m) at Randwick on October 1.
Fabrizio was sent out as the $6 equal favourite in The Epsom with the Darren Weir trained Palentino in the Epsom but after setting the pace faded in the straight to finish in tenth position behind the John O‘Shea trained Hauraki.
Waterhosue is a master at preparing her horses for the tough 1600m at Randwick and will be looking for her eighth win in the Doncaster Mile if Fabrizio gains a start by winning the Villiers Stakes.
“He just looks like the type of horse who reminds Gai so much of some of those types of horses she has had a lot of success with previously,” Bott said.
Fabrizio has collected $277,050 in prizemoney and bonuses for seven wins and one placing from eleven race starts.
