Sistine Demon To The Spelling Paddock Following The Goodwood Defeat

Talented sprinter Sistine Demon has been sent to the spelling paddock for a well-deserved break after beating home just a single runner in the 2014 The Goodwood at Morphettville on Saturday.

Sistine Demon could be set for the Memsie Stakes and Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.

Sistine Demon could be set for the Memsie Stakes and Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Sistine Demon went into The Goodwood in excellent form after scoring a dominant six lengths win in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield on April 19 and was well-backed in the lead-up to his Group 1 debut, despite drawing barrier twenty.

The Excites gelding was able to get across to the lead from her wide barrier, but set a very quick pace in the early stages of the race and faded badly in the final stages of the race to finish twenty lengths behind the surprise winner Smokin’ Joey.

Trainer Andrew Noblet admitted that he was disappointed with the performance of Sistine Demon, but told AAP that the four-year-old had taken no harm from the run and would now spend a month in the spelling paddock.

“He never went a yard from as soon as he hit the ground,” Noblet said.

While Sistine Demon failed to impress in his Group 1 debut, Noblet is already constructing a Group 1 campaign for the talented gelding during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival; with the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) on the agenda for the speedster.

“You’d like to think he can run in the Rupert Clarke (Stakes) and those sorts of races in September,” Noblet said.

“The Memsie is before that and he can head towards those sorts of races at Caulfield if he’s going well enough.”

Sistine Demon recorded just one win from his first eight career starts, but started a memorable winning streak with a victory at Donald at the start of his spring campaign.

The promising galloper went on to record five straight victories at Moonee Valley, Flemington and Caulfield before having his winning streak ended with an unlucky second behind Sweet As Bro in the Listed Kilmore Cup (1600m) on February 23.

Sistine Demon returned to winning form with his maiden win at black type level in the Listed Super Saturday Stakes (1600m) on February 23 before stamping himself as a Group 1 contender with his dominant Victoria Handicap victory.

Sistine Demon has now recorded eight wins from 17 race starts and accumulated more than $400,000 in career prizemoney.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.