Trainer Graeme Begg expects Flak Jacket to hit the line strongly when he returns to Group 2 level in the Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 5.
Flak Jacket returned to the races with a narrow second place finish behind Earnest Desire in the Big Sports Breakfast Handicap (1100m) at Warwick Farm on September 11 and did enough to convince Begg that he was ready to step back up in class this weekend.
“He ran very well,” Begg told RSN.
“He got squeezed at the start and got well out of his ground but he hit the line very hard.”
Flak Jacket will be racing at Group 2 level for the first time he finished ninth behind Sidestep in the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens during the 2013 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and Begg is confident that the son of Dane Shadow will be competitive against a strong field in the Roman Consul Stakes.
“It is probably an ambitious path being second-up and running against much better performed horses, like Zoustar and Va Pensiero, but he is in good form,” Begg said.
“We were hoping that we get a soft track on Saturday, because most Epsom Days it is, but unfortunately we have had a dry period in Sydney it is going to be quiet firm.”
Begg is yet to decide on the ultimate 2013 Spring Racing Carnival target for Flak Jacket and although he thinks be may struggle to beat Zoustar on Saturday believes the three-year-old is good enough to win a big race at some point in his racing career.
“He is a full-brother to Red Tracer and Shellscrape and I am sure that there is a decent race in him,” Begg said
“Whether it is Saturday is another thing but he is an honest customer and I expect him to hit the line hard.”
Begg is chasing his first victory at Group 2 level since Bennetta won the Light Finger Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens earlier this year.