Robusto may not have the Group 1 credentials of his rivals in Saturday’s Winx Stakes, but his fitness levels could make him a genuine danger on testing ground at Randwick.
Trainer Bjorn Baker has deliberately kept the gelding hard-fit through the winter, setting him up for this first major of the season against proven stars such as Via Sistina, Fangirl and Ceolwulf, all resuming from spells.
Nine of the 12 acceptors are Group 1 winners, but regular rider Josh Parr believes Robusto’s conditioning may be his trump card. “He obviously doesn’t have the status of some of his opposition but in a race where fitness is going to be very important, that brings him into it,” Parr said. “I don’t think a bottomless track is ideal for him but if it becomes the survival of the fittest, you just never know. He might be it.”
Robusto already boasts a feature victory in the The Ingham (1600m) last December and has maintained strong form, finishing runner-up in the Winter Stakes (1400m) before winning the Winter Challenge (1500m) last month.
Although his path was interrupted when the Missile Stakes (1200m) was abandoned due to weather, Parr said Baker has done an exceptional job to keep him at peak fitness. “I was able to gallop him on Tuesday morning and his piece of work was really good,” he said. “It’s quite amazing how he has been able to keep him at this level of performance for the entire preparation. He hasn’t shown any signs of going off. For whatever reason, he’s a happy, fit horse who is racing really well.”
Baker has proven capable of engineering an upset in this race before, famously saddling Samadoubt to a $31 boilover in 2019. This year, Robusto will be joined by stablemates War Eternal and Sydney Cup hero Arapaho.
Parr will also ride John Sargent’s Glad You Think So later on the card and believes the gelding is ready to strike again. “It was a good win at Randwick on soft ground and he does appreciate wet ground, which we’ll get on Saturday, so that will bring him into it,” Parr said. Glad You Think So also has proven form on heavy going, having placed behind Riff Rocket and Ceolwulf in last year’s ATC Australian Derby.
Punters looking to back Robusto or Glad You Think So at Randwick this weekend can find markets through Australia’s top betting sites.
