Speediness is set to return to racing in the 2015 Victory Stakes and the veteran gelding impressed trainer Colin Scott with his final piece of trackwork before the Group 2 event at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Speediness will have the chance to return to winning form in the 2015 Victory Stakes at the Gold Coast this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Speediness arrived in Queensland a week ago and he has impressed Scott with the way that he settled into his new environment, but he was given his first piece of serious trackwork this morning.
Scott said that Speediness worked home strongly when asked for an extra effort over the final two furlongs in trackwork this morning and he told Racing Ahead that he is happy with the condition of his star galloper, but is hoping for some rain to hit the Gold Coast track heading into the 2015 Victory Stakes.
“He is going excellent,” Scott said.
“He trialed up very well and his work this morning was very pleasing.
“He just worked over a half mile and worked up a nice two, it was a good clean out the cobwebs sort of gallop and that will top him off nicely.
“As we all know with the horse we would prefer the sting out of the ground and I don’t know if we are quiet going to get that, but as long as it is not too firm then I think he is going to run a good race.
“We have been up here for a week now and he has had plenty of time to acclimatise and work the other way of going, which isn’t a problem for him because he has raced well in Sydney in the past.”
Speediness has not recorded a race win since he took out the 2013 edition of the Group 3 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) at Flemington, but he has a strong first-up record and has scored three wins and two placings from ten first-up starts.
Scott said that two barrier trials have Speediness ready to return to the races for the first time since he finished sixth in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) in November last year and he is confident the son of Testa Rossa can improve his first-up record in the Victory Stakes.
“He had two jump-outs before he came up here, so fitness certainly won’t be an issue,” Scott said.
“His last run first-up in the Bobbie Lewis he ran fourth only beaten by Chautauqua and I think we had 59.5 that day and he had 54, so it was an excellent run.
“First-up he is definitely up to the mark.”
The 2015 Victory Stakes field will be released tomorrow and is set to include the likes of River Lad, Temple Of Boom and Alma’s Fury.
