Co-trainer Jamie Edwards has confirmed that talented stayer Sertorius will not run in the 2014 Caulfield Cup on Saturday and will instead be saved for the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) on October 22 heading into the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4.
Sertorius will run in the Geelong Cup heading into the 2014 Melbourne Cup. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Sertorius missed the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 4 after being found with a cough the morning before the race and instead ran under weight-for-age conditions in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Galileo gelding was far from disgraced in ninth position, but Edwards told TVN that he did not believe that the performance was good enough to win the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and he wants to make sure that the seven-year-old is at his best for the Melbourne Cup.
“I didn’t think his run yesterday was good enough to win a Caulfield Cup,” Edwards said.
“He raced okay yesterday; in my opinion he didn’t go bad, he didn’t go good, I didn’t think it was a run that would see him winning the Caulfield Cup.
“He really looked as if the Melbourne, not Caulfield, Cup would suit him.
“He was good after the winning post and took a bit of pulling up.
“I think the better thing for the horse in the long term is the Geelong Cup and 10 days between runs.
“I’ll give him a good gallop on the Saturday morning before and go into the Geelong Cup 100 percent and then train on for the Melbourne Cup.”
Sertorius currently sits in 19th in the 2014 Caulfield Cup order of entry and was set to carry 55 kilograms in the Group 1 event this weekend, while he is assured of a start in the 2014 Melbourne Cup after he was allocated 55 kilograms by Racing Victoria Chief Handicapper Greg Carpenter.
The Emsley Lodge Stable of Edwards and his training partner Bruce Elkington is located at Freshwater Creek, which is just 15 minutes from the Geelong Racecourse, and Sertorius would be just the fourth locally-trained horse in the last century to win the Geelong Cup.
Sertorius remains in Caulfield Cup betting markets at a quote of $26, while he is available at 2014 Melbourne Cup odds of $41 with Ladbrokes Australia.
The withdrawal of Sertorius means that imported galloper Stipulate is set to gain the last place in the Caulfield Cup field, while the Peter Moody-trained duo of Lidari and Brambles will be the first and second emergencies.
