Lindsay Park gears up for Cantala Stakes 2016

Seaburge

Lightweight Hong Kong-based jockey Chad Schofield will reunite with the Lindsay Park stable when he rides Seaburge in the Group One Cantala Stakes at Flemington.

Three-year-old Seaburge will carry 50kg in the Saturday’s 1600m-race in which stablemate, last-start Toorak Handicap winner He’s Our Rokki, will be among his opponents.

After beginning his riding career in Sydney, Schofield spent the last part of his apprenticeship with David Hayes who now trains in partnership with his son Ben and Tom Dabernig under the LIndsay Park banner.

The Cantala Stakes, the registered name of the race, was run as the Emirates Stakes last year when taken out by Turn Me Loose.

It has switched dates with the Mackinnon Stakes, now known as the Emirates Stakes, moved to the final day of the four-day Melbourne Cup carnival.

Dabernig said the stable had considered a Victoria Derby start for the Caulfield Guineas runner-up but opted to keep him to shorter distances this spring.

“We thought if we give him a relatively light spring we’ll have him for the autumn,” Dabernig said.

“A lot of the Melbourne three-year-olds don’t always come up in the autumn so at least if we keep him light and run him at the mile on Saturday we might be there for the (Australian) Derby in the autumn.”

He’s Our Rokki has won all three of his starts this campaign and will carry half a kilogram more at 55.5kg than when he won the Toorak at Caulfield on October 8.

Dabernig said He’s Our Rokki, to be ridden by Dwayne Dunn, had pleased the stable since his Toorak victory and could back up a week later over 2000m in the Emirates.

“We’d have to see what is likely to run out of the Cox Plate and I’d like to hear that Winx is not going to it,” Dabernig said.

“The Emirates in years to come could turn out to be a real super race, especially if you get horses backing up from the mile on the Saturday and from the Cox Plate.”

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