Kiwi trainer Linda Laing is keeping her race tactics for Veyron under wraps while not conceding the Group 1 $350,000 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday to the powerful Chris Waller stable.
A change of race tactis could be on the cards for Veyron in the George Main Stakes. Photo by Steve Hart.
Sydney’s leading trainer has the first four in the market order for the weight for age feature ‘Metric Mile’ but Laing believes she has the means for Veyron to win his sixth Group 1 race.
Laing will discuss race tactics with Christian Reith, who is back in the saddle, and hasn’t ruled out the five time Group 1 winner going to the front as he did when he took out the Group 1 NZ$150,000 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie in December last year.
“I don’t want to give too much away,” Laing told AAP.
“I’ll discuss it with Christian.”
Reith was aboard when Veyron scored a narrow win over Streama in the Group 2 $175,000 Pro-Ride Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm on August 24 but was then replaced by regular rider Zimbabwean born jockey Rogan Norvall at his next start.
Laing then considered the eight year old was most unlucky when ninth to Hawkspur in the Group 2 $175,000 Tattersall’s Club Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 7 after missing the start and getting held up in traffic in the straight.
“He beat himself last time when he missed the kick,” Laing said.
“He was simply too big for the barriers, they are a bit bigger at Warwick Farm than Rosehill or Randwick and he was a bit stiff after that run but he’s fine now.”
And Laing is not at all concerned about drawing the outside of the nine horse field and actually thinks it might be an advantage.
“It will certainly be a big advantage drawing out because A, he’s not standing in the barrier too long and B, he’s got options if he does miss the kick,” Laing said.
Veyron has been marked a $17 chance in George Main markets with Waller’s four runners taking up the first four places in the market order.
Queensland Derby winner Hawkspur is the $3.20 favourite and a win would provide veteran jockey Jim Cassidy with his one hundredth Group 1 victory.
Next in the betting is Waller’s Australian Oaks winner Royal Descent at $5, Doncaster Handicap winner Sacred Falls at $8 and Shoot Out, a winner over the metric mile on four occasions, at $8.50.
The first of the non-Waller runners in the market order is Guy Walters’ multiple Group 1 winner Streama at $9.
