Archie Alexander is forgiving of Saccharo’s last-start failure at Caulfield and is looking for the three-year-old to return to his best in the race he has been aimed towards all preparation.
Saccharo was an eye-catching third in the Listed Bendigo Guineas over 1400m two starts ago before failing over the same distance when ninth at Caulfield last Saturday week.
The gelding steps up to 1600m in Saturday’s $300,000 VOBIS 3YO Sires and Alexander says there were legitimate excuses for Saccharo’s most recent performance including a throat issue.
“I think Saccharo had a lot of things against him last start,” Alexander said.
“He pulled up with a dirty scope.
“He was also very wide in the run and nothing went right for him.
“I think you forget that run and if he puts in his Bendigo Guineas run he’ll go very close.
“He has got another bad barrier which is not great but we’ve taken the blinkers off and put winkers on and he scoped clean on Wednesday morning.
“He’s fit and well so hopefully he can bounce back to the horse we know he is.”
Alexander is adamant Saccharo, fifth in the Caulfield Guineas and fourth in the Carbine Club Stakes last spring, has been crying out for the step back up to 1600m.
“This has been the race we’ve planned to run him in since January,” he said.
The promising Mick Kent-trained Tarwin, who won the Caulfield race Saccharo was unplaced in last start, is the $1.95 favourite in the field of 14 with Saccahro $5.50.
Alexander will be monitoring the weather and track condition before deciding whether Spanner Head resumes in Saturday’s $150,000 VOBIS Gold Distaff (1400m) because she appreciates cut in the ground.
“She’s going really well but we just need a bit of rain,” Alexander said.
“If it doesn’t rain she will probably go to a benchmark race at Warrnambool next week.”