Trainer Robbie Laing is keen to step Lord Of The Sky up to 1400m in the Group 2 $200,000 P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield on August 13 after the speedy front runner led all of the way to win Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield last Saturday.
Lord Of The Sky above, was back in the winner’s stall after leading all of the way in the Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
With Damien Oliver back in the saddle Lord Of The Sky set the pace before hanging on to record a one and a half lengths win in the Group 3 $150,000 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) to record his first victory in just over two years.
Laing has never lost faith in the speedy six year old and is confident that the will handle the extra distance at weight for age in a fortnight.
“We’d love to have a crack at a 1400m weight-for-age race with him riding the same way,” Laing told racing.com.
“I don’t think it is a problem.”
Lord Of The Sky has had one try at 1400m for a seventh to Red Excitement in the 2015 Listed $120,000 Chester Manifold Stakes at Flemington and before his Bletchingly Stakes victory was last in the winner’s stall when he beat Le Bonsir in the 2014 Group 3 $135,000 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
Laing said that Lord Of The Sky had a tendency to overrace in his races but last Saturday he seemed to settle a lot better in front without any pressure from the other runners and was happy and relieved to see him back in the winner’s stall.
“He is just getting a bit older and a little bit wiser,” Laing said.
“A lot of relief because I know he went for two years without winning a race, but that was partly where we placed him.
“He had run Chautauqua to a nose in the T J Smith, second in the Goodwood, fourth in the Newmarket, second in the Standish, second in the Christmas Handicap.”
“It wasn’t as if he was totally out of form for that whole period of time, but went without winning for a long time.”
Laing said that he has had inquiries to race Lord Of The Sky overseas from interests in England, France and America but will continue to train the six year old as normal until something concrete is finalized.
“All I can do is put my head down and get the horse ready for his next assignment, the Lawrence,” Laing said.
A decision to step up again to Group 1 company in the weight for age $500,000 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 27 will depend on Lord Of The Sky’s performance in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes.
“We will see how he goes in the Lawrence. The Lawrence to going to be slightly weaker than the Memsie and hopefully can just bowl to the front and have an easy time.”
Lord Of The Sky’s best efforts to date were during the 2015 Sydney and Adelaide Autumn Carnivals when he ran a nose second to champion sprinter Chautauqua in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick followed by a second to Flamberge in the Group 1 $500,000 Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville six weeks later.
Lord Of The Sky’s prizemoney earnings tipped over the $1 million mark with his win in the Bletchingly Stakes, his sixth win from twenty-four starts.
