Trainer Donna Logan has revealed that she could not be happier with Volkstok’N’Barrell ahead of the 2015 Australian Derby at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Volkstok’N’Barrell has the chance to record a second straight win at Group 1 level in the 2015 Australian Derby at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Volkstok’N’Barrell was beaten by Mongolian Khan in both the Group 2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) at Ellerslie on February 14 and the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at the same venue on February 28, but he produced the best performance of his career to date to take out the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21.
Logan told Racing Ahead this morning that Volkstok’N’Barrell had trained on strongly coming out of the Rosehill Guineas and she believes that the three-year-old has taken another step forward heading into the 2015 Australian Derby.
“He is thriving,” Logan said.
“He has put on two kilos and I couldn’t be happier with him.
“He is very bright, there is plenty of spring in his feet, he hasn’t missed any feed and I am very pleased with him.
“I think that he has taken the next step up in all honesty.
“I know that he has been in for a while, but the horse has done what he has done and he is still very immature and he is strengthening up as he goes.”
Craig Williams partnered Volkstok’N’Barrell in the Rosehill Guineas and the talented hoop will ride the Lord Tavistock gelding in the 2015 Australian Derby this weekend.
Williams made the trip to Sydney to partner Volkstok’N’Barrell in trackwork this morning and Logan said that she received a glowing review for the leading jockey.
“Craig will ride him and he galloped him this morning at Randwick on the course proper and I think that he was very pleased with what he felt,” Logan said.
“Rising Romance and Volkstok’N’Barrell worked together, the track was heavy and very testing, but they both got to the line strong.
“I think they ran their last 200 in 11 and Craig said that he still had horse left.
“Craig said this morning ‘you better work him again on Thursday because this horse looks like he has put on weight’ and he could see that he is thriving as well.
“Once he really fully matures he is going to be one brut of a horse and it is very exciting.”
Volkstok’N’Barrell is currently available at 2015 Australian Derby odds of $4.40 and is on the third of betting with Ladbrokes behind Preferment ($3.50) and Hauraki ($3.90).
