Terravista will return to the races in the 2016 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington on Saturday and trainer Joe Pride believes that the 1000 metres event is the perfect race for his star galloper at this stage of his preparation.
Terravista has the chance to record a second straight victory in the 2016 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington on Saturday. Photo by: Steve Hart
Terravista has not been seen at the races since he finished a close third behind Delectation and Chautauqua in the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 7, but he showed he was ready for a return to the races when he recorded a barrier trial victory over 804 metres at Warwick Farm on February 8.
Pride has been thrilled with the way that Terravista has come up for his autumn preparation and the leading Sydney trainer could not be happier with the son of Captain Rio ahead of the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.
“He is in good order,” Pride said.
“He is a super horse fresh.
“He improves with racing, but he has only been beaten the one time first-up and that was in the Newmarket.
“I think 1000 will be ideal for him fresh and with just the one trial under his belt we have left the speed in his legs.
“I expect him to race right up to his best on Saturday.
“He is a very good straight track horse and he has won at 1000 too.
“He goes into the race with improvement in him and I think he will probably peak on T.J. Smith Day, but I think he will run very well on Saturday.”
Hugh Bowman has been the regular rider of Terravista in recent years and he steered him to victory in his only previous win at the highest level in the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m), but he has elected to remain in Sydney to ride the likes of Press Statement and Astern at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Damien Oliver has been booked to ride Terravista and won’t receive the opportunity to ride the six-year-old before the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, but he does not believe that will be an issue in the Group 1 event this weekend.
“Damien is going to ride him this weekend,” Oliver said.
“He is a pretty straightforward horse and I think we will only have a small field.”
Terravista is currently available at 2016 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes odds of $8 with Ladbrokes and he is on the third line of betting behind Exosphere ($2.30), Chautauqua ($2.80) and Delectation ($7).
