Aussies Love Sport is set to be return to the races in the 2016 Southern Cross Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday, but trainer Peter Robl admits that the Group 3 event may prove a bit too sharp for the talented galloper.
Aussies Love Sport will have the chance to return to winning form in the 2016 Southern Cross Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart
Aussies Love Sport took out the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) and was placed in the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) as a three-year-old under the care of Gai Waterhouse, but he was plagued by injuries as a four-year-old and was transferred from Waterhouse to David Vandyke to John Sargent to Toby Edmonds.
The Redoute’s Choice gelding returned to winning form with a victory in the Campaign Group Handicap (1200m) at the Sunshine Coast on July 4 and he started his summer campaign with a second place finish behind Cradle Me in the Listed Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m) at Royal Randwick on December 12.
Aussies Love Sport was transferred to the care of Robl and he was sent to the Gold Coast, but he failed to fire in both the Listed Goldmarket Quality (1300m) on Boxing Day and the Magic Millions Cup (1400m) on January 9.
Robl said at track work this morning that he expects Aussie Love Sports to produce an improved effort in the Southern Cross Stakes, but he is unsure whether the five-year-old will be a winning chance and is confident he will be better suited in either the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Royal Randwick on February 27 or the Listed National Sprint (1400m) at Canberra on March 6.
“I just wasn’t happy with him up at the Gold Coast,” Robl said.
“I’m not sure if he handled the humidity because he just didn’t settle in well.
“He raced ok, but probably a little bit below his best.
“He seems to have done well back at home and he has found a nice race there on Saturday.
“There are a couple in it like Vashka or Rich Enuff that are probably going to be too sharp for him over 1200, but we are just going there looking for him to run a nice race.
“He will more than likely go either the Liverpool City Cup or the National Sprint at Canberra.”
The Southern Cross Stakes field will be released tomorrow and Aussie Love Sport could take on the likes of Generalife, Vashka, Dibayani, Big Money, Rich Enuff and Boss Lane in the $150,000 event.
