Chocante tackles Tails Stakes field to begin Winter prep

Few horses will carry a better first-up form line into a race than New Zealander Chocante at Doomben.

The last time the five-year-old gelding resumed at 1600m he finished third to the super mare Winx in the Group Two Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick.

The Stephen Marsh Marsh-trained Chocante raced in Queensland last winter when he capped his campaign with victory in the Brisbane Cup (2200m) at Doomben.

Chocante has been back in Brisbane for a fortnight and is set to resume in the Listed Tails Stakes (1600m) before heading to the winter staying races.

After his third to Winx in the spring, he had three more starts in Sydney including a third in the Group One Metropolitan in which last Saturday’s Sydney Cup winner Who Shot Thebarman was fourth.

Top jockey Jim Byrne, who won the Brisbane Cup on Chocante, will be reunited with the gelding on Saturday.

“It will be good to get back on him in a race and see how he is going,” Byrne said.

Stay up to date with the latest sports news
Follow our social accounts to get exclusive content and all the latest sporting news!