A year can feel like a lifetime in horse racing, but for Dominic Sutton, it has flown by in an instant.
Just over 12 months ago, Sutton took the leap from being an assistant trainer with Leon and Troy Corstens to establishing his own stable.
Since then, he has enjoyed a whirlwind of milestones—his first runner on March 8 last year, his first win with Feroce at Pakenham less than two weeks later, and shortly after, his first metropolitan success.
Earlier this month, Feroce delivered again, handing Sutton his first Group 1 victory in the Australian Guineas at Flemington.
While Feroce has been a stable star, another horse, Detroit City, holds a special place in Sutton’s career, as he was responsible for Sutton’s first Flemington triumph.
On Saturday, Detroit City will line up in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley, where Sutton hopes he can break through for his first win at The Valley.
In preparation, Detroit City had a gallop at the track to familiarize himself with the circuit, having last raced there in September when finishing fourth in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m).
“He’s been around The Valley before, and he handled it well last time,” Sutton said.
If Detroit City performs well, he could be on track to become Sutton’s first runner in Sydney, with an ambitious plan to contest the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 5.
“This race will help us decide whether he can step up in distance,” Sutton explained.
“I’m confident 2000m won’t be an issue, but he’ll need to show us something special on Saturday to justify a Derby run.”
As for his last-start disappointment in the Australian Guineas, Sutton is not reading too much into it.
“It just wasn’t his day. It’s hard to say that about a Group 1 race, but for us, it was more about getting him ready for what’s next,” he said.
“Hopefully, he’s primed to peak at the right time.”