Trainer James Cummings has revealed that he will be leaving the 2014 Orr Stakes riding tactics for Eurozone up to leading jockey Damien Oliver.
Eurozone will make his debut at weight-for-age level in the 2014 Orr Stakes at Caulfield this Saturday. Photo by: Steve Hart
The Orr Stakes will feature just seven runners, following the scratching of Playing God, and Cummings expects the Group 1 event to become a very tactical affair.
Eurozone has shown plenty of tactical versatility during his six career starts to date, winning from the front in the Listed The Rosebud (1200m) before coming from near the tail of the field in the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m), and Cummings told Racing Ahead this morning that he is more than happy to let Damien Oliver access the race.
“I think that the horse is ultimately very dynamic and he just loves to race,” Cummings said.
“He can come from behind or jump on the speed and he has won doing both.
“That opens up a range of possibilities for us and we have got to look at the race.
“The speed is coming more from the outside than it is from the inside, but there is going to be a possibility of anything unfolding in this with a small field.
“I would love to give Damien Oliver the autonomy to show that he is the best in the country.”
Eurozone had all six of his race starts during his maiden racing campaign in Sydney and he will be making his debut the Melbourne way of going in the Orr Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
The unique Caulfield track has been coined a ‘graveyard’ for Sydney horses having their first run in Melbourne and Cummings said that he was happy to be able to give Eurozone the chance to gallop on the course proper on Tuesday morning.
“He went to Caulfield on Tuesday morning for a gallop out wide on the course proper, which was a good opportunity for him to have a good look around while not having to overextend himself,” Cummings said.
“Duncan Ramage (the racing manager for owner Dato’ Tan Chin Nam) has been a student of racing for a long time and I am only a young student of the game, so I take his advice when he can offer it.
“We were firmly of the opinion that such a trip could only benefit the horse.
“Sydney horses go to Caulfield and no matter how good they are, they just get buried.
“So You Think ran well, but he only got himself together the last 200 metres and he ran amazing sectionals behind Starspangledbanner that day in the Caulfield Guineas.
“Nothing beat experience as Bart always tells me.”
Eurozone ($5.50) is currently on the third line of the 2014 Orr Stakes betting market at [ladbrokes]; with Peter Moody-trained Moment Of Change ($2.40) currently favourite from the well-backed Shamus Award ($3.20).
