Jockey Chris Symons has revealed that he will be looking to settle Sonntag closer to the speed when he contests the 2015 Australian Cup at Flemington on Saturday.
Connections are confident that Sonntag will produce an improved effort in the 2015 Australian Cup at Flemington this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Sonntag started his 2015 Melbourne Festival Of Racing campaign in the Group 1 Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 14 and he was severely outpaced throughout the race before he produced a slightly improved performance in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at the same venue on February 28.
Symons told Racing Ahead that he was looking forward to riding in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) for the first time in his racing career and he said that he is hopeful that he will be able to put the Teofilo gelding into the race in the early stages before he joked that he has a good record on 100 to chances in Group 1 events after he finished second on extreme outsider Reemah in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) a fortnight ago.
“He has drawn ideal and it would be nice to be a bit closer to the action,” Symons said.
“Most of the pace is drawn out wide and I don’t see why we can’t use that to get across into a really nice spot.
“Most of the main chances are going to be back in the field and if they are not going overly quick, I think that it is going to be a race set up for one in the first half, which hopefully is us.
“We have all seen what I can do on 100 to one chances.”
The Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) is the major 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival target for Sonntag and the four-year-olds co-owner Shane Anderson confirmed that the gelding will have his next race start in the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) on March 28 before making the trip to Sydney for the feature staying event during The Championships.
“We will go to the Mornington Cup after this, where 2400 metres on a track that should suit him, is a good race for him.
“Then it is all systems go in Sydney and we win the Sydney Cup.”
Sonntag is currently available at 2015 Australian Cup odds of $101 with Ladbrokes, while triple Group 1 winner Happy Trails ($4.80) is a narrow favourite from Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist ($5.50), Peter Young Stakes winner Mourinho ($9) and imported galloper Spillway ($10).
