Trainer John Hawkes has declared his star colt All Too Hard has recovered from an elevated temperature and is ready to resume his Autumn Carnival assault in Sydney.
All Too Hard winning the C.F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
But where the Casino Prince colt will next step out is uncertain with Hawkes still to map out a definite Sydney program.
“All Too Hard is fine now but this has forced us to change tack,” Hawkes said.
“To be honest, I haven’t given much thought to where we go next with him. We will let him recover first and then sit down and work through our options.”
“The main priority is the horse’s welfare, we will get the horse right and take it from there.”
Hawkes was forced to scratch All Too Hard from last Saturday’s Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on race morning after recording an above normal temperature when he was a raging short price favourite.
All Too Hard started off the Autumn in dynamic style with back to back wins at weight for age in the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 9 and the Group 1 $500,000 Cathay Pacific Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield two weeks later.
All Too Hard’s arch rival Sydney colt Pierro returned to the racetrack with a dogged win on a heavy track in the Group 2 $200,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday and showed all his fighting qualities in holding out Rebel Dane in a slog to the line.
Gai Waterhouse will let Pierro recover from his tough first up run before mapping out the rest of his Autumn campaign with Sydney racegoers anxiously awaiting a return match with All Too Hard.
The colts have many options over the next six weeks including the Group 1 $550,000 Hyland Race Colours Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Warwick Farm on March 16 and the Group 1 $500,000 M. J. Bale Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill on March 30.
Also there is the possibility that Pierro and All Too Hard could clash in the Group 1 $2m BMW Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 20 with both colts receiving 56kg when weights were released today.
Waterhouse is confident Pierro will have no ill affects from his Hobartville win, rating the three year old as equal to the best gallopers she has trained over her illustrious career.
“It won’t bother him, he’s such a tough colt,” Waterhouse said.
“He takes things in his stride.”
“I’ve trained some very good horses over the years but none better than Pierro.”
“He’s such a professional race horse, a real athlete, and for a colt he has a great attitude for racing.”
