Busuttin’s Derby smokey, while Cox Plate the dream for gun 3YO
By James Lamb
It’s all systems go towards the G1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) for the Busuttin and Young-trained Blind Raise, but the stable also has other Group 1 assignments in mind for the son of Ace High.
An impressive first-up winner of the Listed McKenzie Stakes (1300m) at Sandown Hillside on Saturday, Busuttin told New Zealand Trial Watcher that Blind Raise still has a stack of improvement to come.
“He’s still a long way from being there in the coat.
“It was apparent in the parade ring and the mounting yard watchers made note of that, and rightly so,” Busuttin said.
“He looked a long way behind his rivals in that race but was still able to get the job done, so it was encouraging given there’s a lot of improvement left in him.”
The Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) now awaits Blind Raise on September 19, before the G1 Guineas three weeks later where he’s a $9 chance with TAB.
“He was quite keen in the run first-up, especially early, so we’re hoping the 1400m of the Prelude will just knock the edge off him a bit and he’ll be primed for the Guineas,” Busuttin said.
TAB has Blind Raise at $15 for the Victoria Derby but Busuttin said his star three-year-old won’t be contesting that race.
Instead, there are two Group 1 options for him post-Guineas – both of them run on the same day, October 24.
“The Spring Champion Stakes looks a good option for him. It’s two weeks after the Guineas, it’s 2000m, and it’s worth $2m.”
The other, more lucrative and prestigious option, is to stay in Melbourne and have a crack against the best weight for age horses in the country in the $6m Cox Plate, this year held at Flemington.
“We’re going to make the second payment for the Cox Plate. Obviously if you win or run very well in a Caulfield Guineas, the Cox Plate becomes a real option.
“He’s a long way from that but 2000m is far more suitable than 2500m this prep, so he won’t be going to the Derby,” Busuttin said.
While Blind Raise won’t be there, Busuttin said he has three horses that could be Derby-bound, including a smokey who isn’t even listed in markets at the time of publication.
“A horse that looks a genuine stayer is Icy You (Pinatubo x El Daana). I think we’ll head down the Geelong Classic, Derby path with him,” Busuttin said.
A last-start maiden winner by almost five lengths at Echuca on August 30, Icy You has only been to the races on two occasions but debuting over a mile was a fair pointer to his staying potential.
“You don’t have to be a superstar to run in the Derby. You have to be able to handle the work that goes into a staying campaign this early in the season, and you have to be able to cope with the pressure of a 2500m race,” Busuttin said.
“Icy You is a big strong horse and he’ll stay. He might not have the class but he’ll be there for a long way over that sort of trip.”
The market says Cignetti is the best of Busuttin’s Derby hopes, but unfortunately Saturday’s distant second-placing to Lepolo ($5 Derby favourite) over 1500m didn’t tell us a great deal.
“We didn’t get a chance to see exactly what he could show (due to being held-up behind runners).
“The winner was very impressive, so I’m not sure he beats him anyway, but I’m confident we have a very nice horse on our hands there,” Busuttin said of Cignetti.
The Stutt Stakes (1600m) later this month and the Super Impose Stakes (1800m) at Flemington on October 3 both loom as potential Derby lead-ups for Cignetti.
Busuttin also didn’t rule out running Cignetti in the G1 Spring Champion Stakes one week before the Derby.
“He’s big and strong for a young horse, so he’s definitely built for a staying program.”
Ko Phangan finished fourth in the same race as Cignetti on Saturday but was solid through the line after being left flat-footed early in the straight.
Busuttin said he’ll follow a similar path as Cignetti but is probably a rung or two below that galloper.
While it’s mostly about the boys this spring, there is one filly that Busuttin believes has “stakes-level potential”.
“I’ve got a fair bit of time for Lagunanini. She ran in the Showdown as a two-year-old, and didn’t run well in it, but I think she’s got a fair bit of quality,” Busuttin said.
A soft debut winner before struggling in much stronger grade at her next two outings, Lagunanini has caught the eye in two Cranbourne jumpouts since returning from a break.
“She’ll be targeted at sprinting trips. I think the Blue Sapphire Stakes could be a nice race for her in the middle of the Caulfield carnival,” Busuttin said.
Mount Sabyinyo has been another to attract the attention of trial watchers in recent times but Busuttin said the four-year-old son of Snitzel will just be steadily taken through his grades.
“He only has a low rating at the moment (66) so we’ll just pick out winnable races for him. He’ll win city races in time.”
One galloper that Busuttin hopes will win a city race this weekend is Obambulate in the Michael Moroney (1400m) at Flemington.
“He was very fat first-up and ran okay without being super.
“The blinkers will go on, he’ll appreciate the rise to 1400m, and I think we’ll see sharp improvement from that fellow on Saturday,” Busuttin said.
