Trainer Jamie Edwards has revealed that talented stayer Sertorius will be set for a tilt at both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.
Sertorius could contest both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Sertorius raced consistently at the highest level of racing in the autumn and impressed with a second place finish in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 22 and a third place finish in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Royal Randwick on April 19, but was unable to record a race win.
Edwards told RSN yesterday that the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup will be the initial targets for Sertorius in the spring and he is hoping that the Galileo gelding will be able to turn-the-tables on Sydney Cup winner The Offer, who was the dominant stayer of the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
“He will start off for the Caulfield And Melbourne Cups,” Edwards said.
“I spoke to Greg Carpenter about it and he can’t guarantee anything, but he is more than likely guaranteed to get into both of those races, so that is where we will target him.
“Once again we will see how he comes up; if he comes up good enough we will run him, but if we think that he is not ready for that or that he is not good enough for it we will take a step down.
“He should get in a kilo over the minimum or something like that.
“The Offer was outstanding in Sydney and it was clearly the best staying horse in Australia at the time and I think that we are going to meet it about three or four kilos better in the spring.
“He will be back in Victoria and our way of going and he is going to have to travel.
“Hopefully we can turn the tide, but geez I thought he was very impressive up in Sydney.”
Sertorius remained in Sydney after finishing third in the Sydney Cup and Edwards said that he will spend six weeks in the spelling paddock before returning to his Freshwater Creek-based stable to begin preparations for his 2014 Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival campaign.
“Sertorius is standing in a beautiful paddock up in New South Wales,” Edwards said.
“It was amazing when we had him up there I was putting a light sheet on him at the night time and my foreman down here in Melbourne had the doona rugs on our horses down here in Melbourne.
“I just thought that he would spell better up there and he is just thriving up there.
“The six weeks I am giving him off would be like giving him three months down here.”
Sertorius is currently available at 2014 Caulfield Cup odds of $31 and is priced at a quote of $34 to take out the 2014 Melbourne Cup.
