Lord Of The Sky is set to start the 2015 John Monash Stakes as a clear favourite and trainer Robbie Laing is thrilled with the condition of his star galloper heading into the Group 3 event at Caulfield this afternoon.
Lord Of The Sky has the chance to become just the second horse in history to win the Sir John Monash Stakes in back-to-back years. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Lord Of The Sky was scratched from the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) in Brisbane on June 5 after he was unable to be loaded on an aircraft and then threw a plate and sustained a cut to his off fore leg on his float, but Laing told Racing Ahead that the Danerich entire had taken no long-term harm from the injury and could not be in better condition heading into the Sir John Monash Stakes this weekend.
“He looks terrific,” Laing said.
“He has a spring coat on him and he is absolutely glowing.
“He pulled his plate off and he ripped his heel out and everybody in racing knows that it looks a bit ghastly to start with and we trimmed it up, but within about a week it looked pretty good and now you can’t even notice it.”
Lord Of The Sky was allocated barrier 11 when the 2015 John Monash Stakes field earlier in the week, but Laing does not believe that the wide draw will be an issue for the four-year-old tomorrow afternoon.
The speedy sprinter has taken up the running in the majority of his race starts during his career to date, but he showed that he did not have to lead when he finished second in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 6 and Laing believes that jockey Damien Oliver will have plenty of options in the early stages of the John Monash Stakes.
“On another occasion he drew very wide there at Caulfield and he won by six and a half about a tenth outside the track record and that was when he was a baby,” Laing said.
“With Caulfield being run very late in the day it is probably an advantage to draw wide and especially if there is a bit of give.
“Ollie will just grab hold of him and have him where he is happy – it might be in front or as he showed in Sydney he can sit back in second, third or fourth and still produce those 10.7 sectionals when you let him rip.
“It makes him hard to beat.”
Lord Of The Sky is currently available at 2015 Sir John Monash Stakes odds of $2 with Ladbrokes and is a clear favourite from Angels Beach ($7), Anatina ($9) and Wild Rain ($11).
