Polanski’s Autumn opener has been put on hold after the Victoria Derby winner was a shock scratching for the Group 2 $220,000 Hyland Race Colours Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield today.
Victoria Derby winner Polanski is a shock scratching from the Autumn Stakes. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
The Robbie Laing trained three year old was a late scratching at 7.40am after undergoing an examination by Raving Victoria’s vet Dr Brian Stewart after breaking out in hives this morning.
Polanski is now likely to kick off his Autumn Carnival campaign in the Group 3 $150,000 C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington next week.
The Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) on March 1 and the Group 1 $1m Darley Australian Cup (2000m) the following week both at Flemington are on the radar for Polanski.
Laing was keeping his options open if he would stick to his own age group in the Australian Guineas or step up to weight for age company in the Australian Cup before heading to Sydney for the Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 12.
“But an option might be to go through to the Australian Cup and just keep him ticking over for the Derby,” Laing told the Herald Sun.
Polanksi hasn’t started since winning the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington in November and had been installed the $3.10 favourite for the Autumn Stakes before his shock scratching.
With the Polanski out of the picture Ladbrokes.com.au has elevated Sydney colt Rock Hero to be the $3.20 favourite just ahead of the Wendy Kelly trained Late Charge at $3.60 with Thunder Fantasy from the Anthony Cummings stable and the Mick Kent trained Pyrrolic sharing the next line of betting at $5.50.
