As the Spring Carnival intensifies, fewer opportunities arise for horses to avoid facing their strongest rivals.
Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are fully aware of this situation as they plan a serious challenge for the Caulfield Guineas with their charge, Blind Raise.
The Caulfield Guineas, a 1600m feature race set for October 10, has the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) this Saturday as a critical preparatory event.
Blind Raise is slated to be one of nine runners in Saturday’s race. He faces an disadvantageous draw in barrier nine, but arrives at the contest off the back of a winning performance first-up at Sandown.
The son of Ace High began his career impressively, winning his first two starts as a two-year-old. A subsequent winter campaign in Brisbane was curtailed after a single outing where he finished ninth in the Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm, being found to have mucus.
A spell in the warmer Queensland climate enabled the gelding to recover from his ailment before Blind Raise commenced his spring campaign.
Blind Raise entered his first-up run lacking full fitness, having completed only one trial, yet his class was undeniable in securing a 1-¾ length victory.
“He came through it well as he was a bit above himself at Sandown,” Busuttin stated.
“He’d had just the one run trial leading into it and in the parade ring, it was noticeable he was sweating up and was up and about which is unlike him.
“We were happy with his trial and thought he could do it, but thinking they can do it and actually doing it, is two different things.
“With that run under the belt and then taking him to Caulfield on Tuesday, he should be a bit calmer.
“It will be another challenge on Saturday, and we’ll see how he goes this time, but I would imagine he will be very competitive.”
The Caulfield Guineas is the gelding’s main objective this spring, and he also remains in contention for the Cox Plate (2000m) at Flemington on October 24.
Busuttin believes Blind Raise will show further improvement from Saturday’s run and should be at peak performance by Caulfield Guineas Day.
“His coat is nowhere near where we would like it to be,” Busuttin noted.
“We have just under a month to the Caulfield Guineas to get that right.”
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