Trainer Darren Weir has resisted the pressure to add any extra gear to Humidor when he lines up in the Group 1 $1.5m Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Humidor, above, in green colours, is in great order for the Australian Cup at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Weir has Humidor peaking for the weight for age Australian Cup and the four year old stormed home from back in the field to be beaten a head by stablemate Stratum Star in the Group 2 $200,000 Crown Lager Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on February 25.
But the former Kiwi trained gelding might have been able to reverse the result if he had not laid in in the straight for Damian Lane.
Weir is confident that Humidor will overcome the tendency to lay in with that run under his belt and is happy to send him out with no added gear.
“I was only getting pressure from people mentioning it,” Weir told RSN’s Racing Pulse.
“He has been aimed at this race and hopefully with a little bit of extra work and another run under his belt (he will be right).”
“I don’t think he could run much better than he has in his lead up races.”
“Obviously he is wanting to lay in a little bit, but his manners in the mounting yard are worse than he does in the race.”
“He would want to do both of those things better than he has to be able to run well in this race.”
“But geez he is in great order.”
“He had a lot of gear on before he came to us, but in his gallops at home he goes pretty straight, he might get in a little bit around the corner but when you straighten up he goes straight so that is why I am not too concerned about changing things.”
“Damian is aware of it now, he will be right tomorrow.”
Weir has a plan in place to help keep Humidor calm before the race after he played up badly in the mounting yard before the Peter Young Stakes and will send him to the starting stalls with the clerk of the course’s pony.
“We will get him with the pony as soon as we can and get out of the mounting yard as soon as we can and get him on the way to the barrier,” Weir said.
“I am hoping he can parade a bit better tomorrow. A big day and there will be a big crowd there so he has a bit to overcome, I guess.”
Humidor has been to Flemington on one previous occasion for a ninth to Le Romain in the Group 1 $1m Cantala Stakes (1600m) at Flemington over the 2016 Melbourne Cup Carnival and Weir is keen to see him back there as he steps up to 2000m, a distance he has won over twice before in New Zealand.
“The step up in trip and the big long straight. He has been charging through the line so hopefully the big track is a plus for him,” Weir said.
“He has been aimed towards this race all prep and the order of the horse is fantastic but his manners will have to improve a bit.”
Weir’s contingent for the Australian Cup has been reduced to two runners with Stratum Star his other participant following the scratching of Real Love after she was reported to be not one hundred per cent his morning.
Humidor has joined the Ciaron Maher trained Jameka at the top of the Australian Cup market order at $4 with Ladbrokes.com.au just ahead of Stratum Star and The United States who share the second line of betting at $6.50.
