Trainer Sam Kavanagh has revealed that exciting imported stayer Tales Of Grimm is on track to make his Australian racing debut at Sandown on February 7.
Sam Kavanagh believes that Tales Of Grimm is a much better horse than two-time Gosford Cup winner Midsummer Sun. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Kavanagh purchased Tales Of Grimm at the Tattersalls July Sale last year and has been extremely bullish about the talent of the Distorted Humor gelding since he arrived in Australia; with the rising training indicating late last year that the gelding could be targeted at a race like the Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m) during the 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
Tales Of Grimm will contest a barrier trial at Rosehill Gardens on Tuesday and Kavanagh will then decide where the six-year-old will make his Australian racing debut, but he told Racing Ahead that the imported galloper is more than likely to make his first appearance at the races in Australia in Melbourne.
“I will start him off at Sandown in a seven furlong race,” Kavanagh said.
“He has been to the trials and trialed well, but it is obviously difficult to travel down to Melbourne.
“I’m not sure if he can win first-up, but certainly the way he is going nothing would surprise me at this stage.
“There is also a race here in Sydney and it will depend on how the tracks are, his form is best with a little bit of cut out of the ground.
“It is hard to place a horse like him here in Sydney and there is a little bit of change here with the ratings.
“Greg Carpenter has a clear system that he sets out and that is what we focus on buying our horses through.
“In Melbourne he will get in well rated and there is also a race like the Blamey Stakes that he might end up in there to try and qualify him for the better races in The Championships.”
Kavanagh has been thrilled with everything that Tales Of Grimm has done in trackwork heading into the Autumn Racing Carnival and revealed that he believes the Group 3 placegetter is a much better horse than Gosford Cup winner Midsummer Sun.
However, Kavanagh admits that it has been difficult determining just how much talent Tales Of Grimm has and is looking forward to seeing what he can deliver when he returns to racing next month.
“The hard thing for a small stable is getting a guide on how good a nice horse is because you don’t have a lot to compare them against,” Kavanagh said.
“In the bigger yards they have a lot of yardsticks and we are probably not in that situation, but he is certainly doing everything that we have asked of him.
“His form in Europe suggest he is a very good horse and everything we have done with him here he has done in second gear.
“I am looking forward to get him to the races.”
Kavanagh only has a small team of horses, but currently sits just outside the top ten in the New South Wales Metro Trainer Premiership.
