Precipitation around Melbourne, with more anticipated, delights Glen Thompson in his bid for a Melbourne Cup place using Whisky On The Hill.
The Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) scheduled for Flemington on Saturday grants automatic entry to the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington this November.
Whisky On The Hill joins 12 competitors chasing that opportunity, yet Thompson recognizes his stayer’s preparation for the feature hasn’t been seamless.
Entering fourth-up, the gelding’s latest was a sixth behind Birdman during the Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield, March 14.
That came after a midfield effort in the Australian Cup Prelude (2000m) the previous week, preceded by a creditable fifth over 1600m at Caulfield on debut back February 7.
Plans for Saturday solidified after Whisky On The Hill claimed the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington amid Melbourne Cup week.
“It’s been the plan since the time he came in, but we haven’t had the smoothest of preps,” Thompson said.
“He missed a run early on which really put us on the backfoot.
It’s unfortunate the programming here isn’t ideal to get to a race like this as there was no ideal lead-up, only a 2000-metre race three weeks beforehand.
He was supposed to run over 2000-metres at Caulfield two weeks before the Flemington race, but he pulled a shoe off and stood on a nail, so he missed that run.
We ran him at Flemington and I couldn’t go third-up into a 2600-metre race, so I dropped him back in distance and ran in the Peter Young.
He’s fit enough for it. He wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think he was.
The bit of rain forecast is ideal, it doesn’t look an overly strong race, but he hasn’t had the perfect prep for it.”
Thompson keeps the Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick April 11 in mind for Whisky On The Hill, especially with possible wet tracks up north.
“I tossed up about aborting this race before the 1800-metre at Caulfield and running in the Manion Cup in Sydney, but then he’s got this 2600-metre run under the belt if we do decide to go to Sydney,” Thompson said.
Check racing betting markets for competitive prices on Whisky On The Hill in the Roy Higgins.