Co-trainer Leonie Proctor believes that blinkers could play a key role in stable star returning to winning form in the Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Well Sprung will sport blinkers in the Listed Carlyon Stakes at Moonee Valley on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos
Well Sprung charged home to secure a career-best win in the Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m) as a three-year-old at this meet in 2015, but the entire has failed to make much of an impact since; posting just one win from seven subsequent starts.
Proctor told Racing Victoria that the Star Witness entire may be in line for ‘the ultimate gear change’ if he doesn’t produce much in the Carlyon Stakes, but is confident he is in the right condition leading into the featured sprint.
“We’re fighting with him being a ‘boy’,” she said. “I think if he was gelded he’d be a real horse, but we haven’t been able to geld him, so we’ve got to work in a different direction.
“That’s why we’ve put the blinkers on this time. This is our only hope to get his mind on the job and it seems to be working.”
“He trialled nicely with the blinkers on at Cranbourne and we were happy how he got in amongst them and hit the line.
“It was good to see him do that and his manners with the blinkers on were a lot better than they have been. It was nice to see him nice and settled behind the back of the gates and get the job done and not firing himself up.
“He’s probably improved a lot since the trial, too.”
Well Sprung stamped himself as a colt to watch upon debuting to racing for second in a Cranbourne minor over 1200m in July last year, and appeared on track for a particularly lucrative career when he saluted in the McKenzie Stakes at only his second start.
Returning to the paddock after failing to make anything of an impact when eleventh in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) however, Well Sprung did not beat a runner home when he resumed in the Listed WJ Adams Stakes (1000m) on February 6th but relished a return to Moonee Valley when second in the Pizza Fellas BM78 (1200m).
Finishing mid-pack in his next two starts, the entire out of Sprung returned to winning form in the Building Brands NM78 (1000m) on April 2nd but returned to the paddock after finishing eleventh in the Sandown Park UK BM78 (1100m).
Well Sprung is currently available at 2016 Carlyon Stakes odds of $34 with Ladbrokes Australia.
