I’m All The Talk is set to contest the 2014 Caulfield Sprint in Melbourne on Saturday rather than the Listed City’s Tattersall’s Club Lightning (1100m) at Royal Randwick.
I’m All The Talk is set to head to Melbourne for the 2014 Caulfield Sprint on Caulfield Cup Day this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Trainer Gary Portelli included I’m All The Talk in the nominations for both races and was planning to keep the Stratum entire in Sydney, but changed his plans after jockey Brenton Avdulla jumped off his galloper to ride the undefeated Deep Field in the Listed event.
Portelli said that he will wait until he analyses the barrier draws for both races before he makes a final decision, but is set to give I’m All The Talk a maiden opportunity in Melbourne for the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1200m).
“At this stage we are looking to accept at Caulfield,” Portelli told Racing Ahead.
“It was a situation where I thought I had Brenton Avdulla booked, but when the opportunity to ride Deep Field came up he jumped off and it left us without a jockey.
“All the jockeys from Sydney are in Melbourne so I thought that I may as well just go to Melbourne and we could get a jockey at least.
“Craig Williams rang for the ride and that swayed us into thinking that we would accept and see.
“We would have to draw a good gate because the first time around there the Sydney horses need to get on the right leg quickly and find the rail.
“That will be the determining factor come Wednesday morning.”
I’m All The Talk started his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a credible fifth in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick on September 6 before finishing second behind the talented Terravista in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at Royal Randwick on September 20.
The four-year-old carried the top weight of 61 kilograms in a Welter Handicap event at Randwick on October 6 and he finished a credible second behind That’s A Good Idea.
Portelli is confident that I’m All The Talk can be competitive in the Caulfield Sprint this weekend and said that he is pleased to have an opportunity to give the entire a look at the tricky Caulfield track before a potential tilt at the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) in the autumn.
“He has come through well,” Portelli said.
“I think that the fact he had 61 kilos and was softened up in the first 150 metres of the race.
“That’s A Good Idea is a very good horse and he was just stalking us and was a bit fresher than us and he ran us down.
“He has been racing well enough and it will be a nice opportunity to get away from home and see how he goes on the Melbourne leg.
“It will be good for him as far as seasoning him for later on, he is a lightly raced stallion, and on top of that it would be a nice day out for the owners on Caulfield Cup day.”
The 2014 Caulfield Sprint final field and barrier draw will be released tomorrow.
