Prospective mum Griante’s broodmare value will skyrocket if she can win the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 7.

Griante is set to kick off her Spring Carnival in the Regal Roller Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.

Griante will kick off her Spring Carnival campaign at Caulfield on Saturday with trainer David Brideoake nominating the five year old mare in two races.

The Mornington trained has selected the Listed $120,000 Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) as Griante’s Spring starting point in preference to the $80,000 Mares Handicap (1100m) in which she was allocated 61kg.

Steven Arnold has been booked to ride Griante who has been given 58kg in the Regal Roller Stakes.

While Brideoake is busy mapping out a Spring program for Griante, he is also organizing her future with a visit to super stallion Snitzel in September before racing on through the Carnival.

“We’ll target these quality sprint races during the Spring,” Brideoake told racing.com.

“But in the first couple of weeks of September she’ll pay a visit to Snitzel and then she’ll probably race on another six weeks after that, in foal hopefully.

“We’ll just see how it unfolds but look she’s at the rating level where she’s got to have a shot at an open age, open sex, Group 1 sprint over six furlongs and that probably will happen in November at Flemington.”

Griante has already had a taste of Group 1 racing and performed creditably in the Autumn when third to Lucky Hussler in the $400,000 Brown Baldwin William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.

At her previous start she was a winner in the Group 3 $150,000 Wenona Girl Handicap (1200m) at Randwick and she has also been placed at Group 2 level when second to Avoid Lightning in the Group 2 $300,000 Drummond Golf Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 11 before she went for a break.

“She was fabulous in Sydney and probably the highlight was running third in the Group 1 at Moonee Valley in the William Reid,” Brideoake said.

Griante has had a jumpout and a barrier trial in preparation for her return and Brideoake was very happy with the way she trialled at Cranbourne for a third placing over 800m earlier in the week.

“Very happy with her. She has come through the trial yesterday really well,” Brideoake said.

“I thought she was very good. She had a jumpout at Mornington and she has had the trial at Cranbourne and we couldn’t be happier with her.”

“(Dwayne) Dunn said that she was a little bit hot in the barriers which is normal for her when she is fresh up, and then when the gates opened a horse went under her neck so she got back to last and he said she was very very strong.”

“He never moved on her and her sectionals were really strong late.”

“I believe she has come in the best she ever has. We will go to the race on Saturday, the Regal Roller, we will probably go to the Cockram in two weeks.”
Brideoake will finalise Griante’s Spring program after she runs in the Group 3 $150,000 William Hill Sprint Series Heat 1 Stakes (Cockram Stakes) (1200m) Caulfield on August 29 but the Darley Classic on the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival is in his sights.

“I will just pick and choose a little bit but I think that ultimately she will take a shot at one of these Group 1 sprints through the Spring,” Brideoake said.

“I couldn’t be happier with her and she has measured up to good horses before and I don’t see why she won’t this time.”

The Regal Roller Stakes looks certain to have a capacity field of sixteen when the final field is released on Wednesday after twenty-three horses were in the original nominations on Monday.