Trainer Gerald Ryan is confident that the step straight up to 2000 metres will not be an issue for Bachman when he contests the 2015 Grand Prix Stakes at Doomben on Saturday.
Bachman will have the chance to return to winning form in the 2015 Grand Prix Stakes at Doomben this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Bachman returned to the races with a credible seventh in the EGroup Security Handicap (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 18 and he produced a smart performance to finish third behind Najoom in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on May 9.
Ryan told Racing Ahead that he planned on giving Bachman a start at 1600 metres before he stepped up to 2000 metres for the Grand Prix Stakes, but he is confident that the three-year-old will have no trouble handling the step-up to 2000 metres in the Group 3 event this weekend.
“He is really well,” Ryan said.
“He copped it really good and with the Hawkesbury Guineas being delayed a week it has probably put us half a run behind.
“The plan was to run at Hawkesbury and go up to the Sunshine Coast Guineas last week and back up into this, but the way that he pulled up and the way that he finished off, I thought that we would roll the dice and go straight to 2000 metres with him.
“He has been trained to get over ground this whole time in and I have taken the blinkers off him to get him to settle a bit better.
“His work has been really good, he looks good and he travelled up overnight and he travelled the best with Solicit.
“He is happy in himself and I am happy with him heading into the race on Saturday.”
Bachman could finish no better than sixth when he had his only previous start in the Group 3 Caulfield Classic (2000m) during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival, but Ryan said that performance was better than it looks on bare form.
Ryan said that he has been training Bachman a little bit sharper during this preparation than he did in the spring and he believes that the shorter distance of the Queensland Derby in 2015 could suit the All American colt.
“That day is probably not a true indication,” Ryan said.
“He lobbed in a good spot early, but he ended up getting shuffled back through the field and he was last or second last on straightening and he hit the line really good.
“He was heading to the Derby then and he hurt himself on the Tuesday morning beforehand and he couldn’t go.
“The Derby in Queensland this year is only 2200 metres and if it was still at 2400 metres we wouldn’t be doing what we are doing with him.”
Bachman is currently available at 2015 Grand Prix Stakes odds of $9 with Ladbrokes and he is on the equal fourth line of betting behind Sadler’s Lake ($3.40), Worthy Cause ($6.50) and Master Of Arts ($7.50).
