John Dillon Stakes Rather Than Australia Stakes For Tudor

Trainer Doug Harrison has confirmed that Tudor will have his next race start in the 2016 John Dillon Stakes at Caulfield on Australia Day.

Tudor will have the chance to complete the Chester Manifold Stakes/John Dillon Stakes double on Tuesday. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos

Tudor will have the chance to complete the Chester Manifold Stakes/John Dillon Stakes double on Tuesday. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos

Tudor has been a consistent performer throughout his racing career without winning out of turn, but he returned to winning form when he led from start to finish to take out the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on January 16.

Harrison elected to include Tudor in the nominations for the 2016 Australia Stakes that were released earlier in the week, but he told Racing Ahead that he will save the Strategic gelding for the Listed John Dillon Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on January 26.

“We will probably go to the John Dillon,” Harrison said.

“He has come through it really well and I am really pleased with the way that he is handling it all.

“We did step-up his work a bit and he is really handling it well.

“He doesn’t knock himself around too much with anything that he does, but I think that he can take a bit more.

“I am very pleased with him.”

Tudor contested the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Caulfield in just his second race start and he finished in the placings in the Listed Abell Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley last year, but his Chester Manifold Stakes victory was his first at black-type level.

Harrison was delighted to finally score a feature race win with the four-year-old and he is hopeful that he can continue that form when he tackles another 1400 metre Listed event in the 2016 John Dillion Stakes.

“It really suited him,” Harrison said.

“With the blinkers on he jumped much better and that put him into that position.

“He kept on rolling along.

“He is such a lovely horse, he is easy to do anything with and he has a great nature.

“To win some black-type with him finally – he has run a few placings and he ran in the Australia Stakes last year and didn’t have a lot of luck.”

Recent winners of the John Dillon Stakes include Finishing Card (2014), Southern Speed (2012), Danzylum (2011), Youth (2005), Tycoon Ruler (2004) and Bonotto (1999), while Tudor will have the opportunity to become the first horse since Danzylum in 2011 to complete the Chester Manifold Stakes/John Dillon Stakes double.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.