Marble Nine will look to continue his consistent preparation as he lines up at Flemington this weekend, with a longer-term target firmly in the sights of the Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin training partnership.
The in-form sprinter is scheduled to contest The Funky Farm Sprint (1100m) on Saturday, serving as a lead-up to the Listed Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final (1200m) at the same track on July 5.
Coming off a benchmark 84 win over 1200m at Flemington on June 7, Marble Nine had previously finished a commendable fifth in the Listed Straight Six on May 17, both runs down the famous straight course.
Will Larkin acknowledged that while the step back to 1100m wasn’t ideal, Saturday’s race was the perfect bridging run ahead of the final.
“He’s going extremely well,” Larkin said.
“Ideally, we didn’t want to be stepping back to the 1100 metres from the 1200 (metres), but it was a suitable race to keep his fitness up to the mark for the final.
“He is going up in grade from an (benchmark) 84 to an open handicap, so it is a harder race, but he’s in good form and I’m sure he’s going to run well.”
Marble Nine boasts a solid record at Flemington, having competed there six times for a win and two placings, all down the straight. His racing style lends itself well to such conditions, according to Larkin.
“He’s just so honest and he’s got that racing style where he takes luck out of the equation and goes up on the speed and runs out a strong 1200 metres,” Larkin said.
“The 1100 metres is probably a bit on the sharp side, it is in between his range, but he is a winner at that trip at Caulfield, and he is a winner up the straight as well.
“He’s got the right racing style for straight racing. He sits up and then can build into it.”
With 55kg on his back—down from 58.5kg when he last won at the track—Marble Nine will again be partnered by Liam Riordan as he tackles a competitive field on Saturday.
If you’re thinking about backing Marble Nine or another runner this weekend, compare the latest odds and promotions from Australia’s top betting sites to get the best value.
