Talented sprinter Kuroshio is on track to return to racing in the 2014 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 22 after impressing Paul Snowden with his performance in a barrier trial at Cranbourne this morning.
Kuroshio made his open racing debut with a surprise victory in the McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Kuroshio competed in the second trial of the day over 800 metres and worked home strongly to finish third behind Bel Sprinter and Flamberge without being asked for an extra effort by jockey Damien Oliver.
The Exceed And Excel colt has not competed at Group 1 level since he finished towards the tail of the field in the 2013 Golden Slipper (1200m), but Snowden believes that the speedster deserves a chance at the highest level of racing in the Oakleigh Plate.
“He’s a pretty quick horse, but the opposition is going to be pretty stiff,” Snowden told TVN this morning.
“He’s only going to get around 51 kilos, so we will give him a shot.”
Kuroshio made his racing debut with a win in the Listed Superracing Stakes (1000m) at Flemington during the 2012 Spring Racing Carnival and finished his maiden campaign with a third place finish behind Villa Verde and Overreach in the Listed Debutants Stakes (1000m).
He started his autumn preparation with an unlucky second place finish behind Dissident in the Listed Blue Diamond Colts And Geldings Preview (1000m) and returned to the winners’ stall with a win in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Colts And Geldings Prelude (1100m), but failed to fire in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) and the Golden Slipper.
Kuroshio failed to handle the track conditions when he finished at the tail of the field in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at the start of his 2013 Spring Racing Carnival before producing the best performance of his career to upset Moment Of Change in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on September 14.
The three-year-old was well backed in the lead-up to the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1000m), but finished third behind Unpretentious and finished his campaign with a poor performance in the Flemington Fling (1000m) on Melbourne Cup Day.
The Darley operation is chasing their first win in the Oakleigh Plate after sprinting superstar Sepoy failed to handle the top weight of 58kg and finished fifth behind the fast-finishing Woorim in the 2012 edition of the race.
