Talented colt Risen From Doubt has been set for the 2014 Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) in Sydney, rather than the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) during the Melbourne Festival Of Racing.
Risen From Doubt stamped himself as a contender for the Golden Slipper with an impressive win in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Risen From Doubt made his racing debut with an impressive victory in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on October 5 and was considered a leading contender for both the Blue Diamond Stakes and the Golden Slipper.
Trainer Tony McEvoy told Racing Ahead this morning that he believes a tilt at both races would be too much for Risen From Doubt and confirmed that the son of Not A Single Doubt would be saved for the Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens on April 5.
“He is really well and he is in great order,” McEvoy said.
“He is just coming through the early stages of fitness in the Barossa Valley and he will come up to Sydney in a couple of weeks and continue his campaign here.
“He has come back super.
“I’ve decided that we will go straight to the Slipper.
“It is very difficult to do both and two-year-olds you only have a very short window with them.
“I just wasn’t comfortable having a crack at the Blue Diamond and the Golden Slipper, and the owners thankfully agreed that we should target one race.”
While Risen From Doubt will not be taking part in the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on February 22, McEvoy is still hoping to have a runner in the $1 million event.
Piacenza made her racing debut with a third place finish behind Moonlight Hussler and Good Prince in the Listed Debutant Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on October 12 and McEvoy said that the Blue Diamond is on the agenda for the Denman filly.
“I have a filly called Piacenza, who ran third in the Debutant Stakes at her only run, and she will go through to the Blue Diamond,” McEvoy said.
“I have a couple of other two-year-olds that I am still trying to access and I am certainly hoping to have a runner there.”
McEvoy came closest to tasting Blue Diamond success when La Lagune finished second behind True Jewels in the 2001 edition of the race and has not had a runner in the Golden Slipper since Fappiano’s Sun finished sixth in 1999.
