Today’s Randwick scratching Terravista will now kick off his Spring Carnival campaign in the Group 2 $300,000 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on October 3.
Terravista was scratched from The Shorts at Randwick because of the heavy track. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trainer Joe Pride withdrew Terravista from the Group 2 $200,000 Bowermans Office Furniture Shorts (1100m) because of the heavy track and will give the Group 1 winning sprinter another barrier trial before resuming.
Pride said even though Terravista can handle rain affected tracks, he didn’t want to jeopardise the rest of his Spring campaign with a first up run on a heavy track.
“It is the hardest thing to do take a favourite out of a race like that and he does handle wet tracks but I just don’t feel it is the right way to start his preparation after a disappointing preparation last time,” Pride told Sky Racing’s Racing HQ Saturday.
“I don’t want to kill him with a run first up on a heavy track. I’m assuming it will stay heavy, I was pretty ordinary the other day.”
“He can re-trial and run in the Premiere Stakes.”
Pride was anticipating a bold first performance from Terravista after two Warwick Farm barrier trial hit outs that saw him run third over 807m on August 28 followed by a win over 802m on September 11.
“Extremely happy with him that’s why its a hard thing we have to do today, but we have to make decisions in this game, it’s crystal ball stuff,” Pride said.
“This horse, I believe he’s the best horse I have ever trained and he has bigger things to achieve than to win a Group 2 race.”
“It is very disappointing but I am looking after the horse long term.”
Terravista’s main Spring Carnival goals are the Group 1 $1m William Hill Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 23 and the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 7, the race he won last year.
Terravista would have run as a short priced favourite today and was marked at $2.40 at his time of being scratched.
Also coming out of the Shorts are the Peter And Paul Snowden trained That’s a Good Idea and Atmospherical from the David Pfieffer stable, leaving six runners to contest the Group 2 sprint.
Pride will still have a strong representation in the Shorts with Ball Of Muscle and Rock Sturdy.
In a revised market at Ladbrokes.com.au, Ball Of Muscle is on the second line of betting at $4.20 behind the Tony McEvoy trained Shiraz at $2.40 while Rock Sturdy is the outsider of the field at $31.
Pride is expecting a better performance from Ball Muscle after he was slightly disappointing first up when third as favourite to Shiraaz in the Group 3 $125,000 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on September 5.
“I was a bit disappointed with him. He may have been a little bit a victim of the track that day and he’s he is not going to get that much better today but with that run under his belt, he will be better suited,” Pride said.
“Terravista coming out of the race certainly helps him and I thought another run before the Moir would do him the world of good.”
The Group 1 $450,000 City Jeep Moir Stakes (1000m) is run at Moonee Valley on October 2.
Rock Sturdy might take a couple of runs for him to hit his straps but Pride was keen to get his preparation started today.
“He’s not that happy on that kind of track but I have to kick him off and start his preparation today,” Pride said.
“The big thing about him is that he needs his blinkers on.”
“I probably should have put them for the trial the other day. He’s a funny old horse. He gets the blinkers back on today.”
The Shorts market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.40 Shiraz, $4.20 Ball Of Muscle, $5 Rebel Dane, $6 Delectation, $7.50 Hot Snitzel, $31 Rock Sturdy.
