Progressive Lindsay Park stayer The Western Front is set to continue his demanding campaign in Saturday’s $150,000 Banjo Paterson Series Final at Flemington.
This 2600-metre event marks the tenth start of a preparation that began with a fourth placing in a benchmark 70 over 1600m at Flemington on January 10.
The five-year-old gelding has since achieved four victories, notably the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m), and while co-trainer Ben Hayes expressed surprise at the campaign’s longevity, he remains pleased with the horse’s condition and believes there are more goals to pursue.
“When you get them fit you keep them happy and in a rhythm and these days, with technology, trainers are able to keep horses up for longer,” he said.
“It’s good for them, they enjoy being in work. Some don’t, so you put them in the paddock.
“He’s a horse we’d like to get his rating up a bit more to target maybe the back-end of spring with him.
“He could bob up over Cup Week running in one of those staying races.”
Hayes confirmed that the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) on Champions Day is a more probable target this year than the $10m Melbourne Cup (3200m).
The Western Front enters the race following a second-place finish to Vegas Jack at Flemington on June 20, a run where he experienced a difficult passage from the outside barrier. Hayes is confident the gelding can improve his placing with more favourable racing luck.
“He probably had the hardest run in the race,” Hayes, who trains in partnership with brother Will and JD, said of the 1-1/4-length defeat.
“He had no luck at all. He was wide the whole trip, had to work in the middle stages, hit the front early and just got run over late.
“But he’s come through the run well.”
The Western Front, to be ridden by Daniel Stackhouse, will meet Vegas Jack 1.5kg better at the weights from their last start and will break from barrier six, while Vegas Jack is drawn in barrier nine.
The gelding is currently the $4.20 favourite, with Vegas Jack at $7. Wuddzz is rated at $5.
Consider placing a bet on The Western Front with leading online bookmakers for the Banjo Paterson Series Final.
