Trent Busuttin admits that if the priority was solely a Group 1 win, the logical course of action would be to send Blind Raise to Sydney for this Saturday’s Spring Champion Stakes.
However, he also understands that the specific chance that has presented itself this year is something that doesn’t come around often.
Therefore, the Caulfield Guineas runner-up, whom he trains in partnership with Natalie Young, will participate in this Saturday’s $6 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m).
The son of Ace High is yet to win at the highest level and would most likely be a heavily favoured contender in the $2 million Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick. Instead, he will face his Guineas conqueror, Warwoven, again at Flemington.
“The sensible thing would have been to go up to Sydney for the $2 million race, but you very rarely get a genuine live chance in a Cox Plate,” Busuttin commented.
“I think they’ve got him at 10/1, he is a genuine chance in it, so you’ve got to have a go.”
Blind Raise and the Bjorn Baker-trained Warwoven, who will both carry 49.5kg in the Cox Plate with Jamie Melham set to ride Blind Raise, are aiming to become the first three-year-olds since Shamus Award in 2013 to claim Australia’s premier weight-for-age championship.
Established stars Sir Delius, Aeliana, and Birdman are confirmed rivals. Ceolwulf is expected to back up after his second placing in the King Charles III Stakes, while a decision on whether the beaten Caulfield Cup favourite Cosmic Crusader will also race will be made on Tuesday.
Fillies Global Goal and Proxima Dea are currently the favourites for the Spring Champion Stakes, which on Monday morning attracted 11 entries, including Chris Waller-trained colts Stormy Marco, Diameter, Central Europe, and Wonka.
The Caulfield Guineas was only the sixth start for Blind Raise and his first race beyond 1400m. However, Busuttin observed the day after the race that the colt had taken minimal harm and has been delighted with his subsequent work.
“It was obviously a hard race last week but he came home and he ate everything, licked the feed bin clean, trotted out free in the morning, we took him for a walk and he was squealing and carrying on then got in the roll box and carried on,” Busuttin said.
“So it was pretty safe that he’d come through it good and then he galloped Saturday morning and galloped up very, very good.”
The field for this year’s unique Cox Plate, to be run at Flemington with Moonee Valley undergoing reconstruction, will be finalised on Tuesday night at a barrier draw function in Melbourne.
Check out the latest online bookmakers for betting markets on the Cox Plate.