Trainer Jason Coyle has revealed that the 2016 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes is an option for injury-plagued sprinter Va Pensiero.
Va Pensiero has not recorded a race win since he beat Dissident to take out the 2013 edition of the Run To The Rose. Photo by: Steve Hart
Va Pensiero reinjured his near fore tendon after he finished a luckless 13th behind Sweet Idea in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21 and Coyle has been forced to nurse the Stratum entire back to full fitness for the second time in his racing career.
The five-year-old showed promising signs with his performance in two barrier trials at Warwick Farm on December 18 and January 25 and Coyle told Sky Racing HQ that the entire will likely head to Melbourne for the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 20 if he performs well in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm on Monday.
“He has had a couple of trials back and he looks in good order,” Coyle said.
“We trialed him about six weeks ago and gave him a little freshen-up after that and the leg looked good, so we gave him another little trial there a week and a half ago.
“Tim Clark rode him in both and he said in the second trial that he was a lot more relaxed in both and did everything within himself and felt in good order.
“It will be much the same again on Monday and then we can have a serious look at where we resume.
“It has been a long time since his last start and we have taken a long time with him and done a lot of work with him.
“You obviously don’t really know until you let them off the bridle, but it has been so far so good.
“We have nursed it along again and we just have our fingers crossed that we have done the right thing by him and he will repay us.”
Va Pensiero scored upset wins in both the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) and Group 3 Run To The Rose (1200m) during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival, but he has been plagued by injuries in recent years and he has been restricted to just four race starts since he finished at the tail of the field in the Telstra Phonewords Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day in 2013.
Va Pensiero is set to contest the sixth barrier trial of the morning over 800 metres at Warwick Farm on Monday.
