Trainer Gai Waterhouse has declared that Fiorente is a near certainty to contest the 2014 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Fiorente will be chasing his third victory at Group 1 level in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill Gardens this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Fiorente was included in the Ranvet Stakes nominations that were released yesterday and Waterhouse told TVN at trackwork this morning that she expected the Sydney racing public would get their chance to see the Melbourne Cup winner in action on Saturday.
“He has an amazing turn of foot; we have seen in it the Melbourne Cup and also the Australian Cup and I think Sydney punters will get their chance to see him do it on Saturday,” Waterhous said.
“He is at the top of his game, the Australian Cup brought him to his peak and he is going very well.
“He is a competitive horse; he loves to race and loves to work.
“He is a big horse, stands over a lot of ground, he is bright in the eye and eating well
“He and Carlton House have eating contests on a daily basis.”
Fiorente has done the majority of his racing since arriving in Australia in Melbourne and will be having just his second race start in Sydney this weekend.
The Monsun gelding made his Australian racing debut with a most impressive second in the 2012 Melbourne Cup (3200m) and after a stint in the spelling paddock finished third behind All Too Hard in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick – his only race start during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
Fiorente raced exclusively in Melbourne during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival and took out the Group 2 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley before finishing third in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) and giving Waterhouse her maiden victory in the Melbourne Cup.
The six-year-old returned to the races in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on February 22 and came from the back of the field to score a narrow win and was able to replicate that performance against a strong field in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 8.
Fiorente ($2.60) is currently a narrow favourite in 2014 Ranvet Stakes betting markets from five-time Group 1 winner It’s A Dundeel ($2.80), 2013 Queensland Derby winner Hawkspur ($9), imported galloper Foreteller ($10) and stablemate Carlton House ($12).
