Trainer James Cummings has given the green light for Cascadian to be tested at weight for age level in the Group 2 $200,000 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Cascadian, above, is taking the step up to weight for age company in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.
Cascadian has won two races on Australian soil, his latest in the Group 3 $160,000 Chandon Doncaster Prelude (1500m) at Rosehill on March 28.
The French import was then spelled after finishing a tidy 9th in the Group 1 $1.5m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on Day One of The Championships during the 2020 Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Cascadian has finished second in a recent 800m Hawkesbury barrier trial and Cummings is satisfied the six year old import is ready to compete at weight for age level.
“He’s done enough to suggest that he can be a weight-for-age contender and he’s embarking on that path on Saturday,” Cummings said.
“We go to Melbourne with the same attitude we had last week in Sydney, which is that now is the time to live up to the promise he’s shown.”
“There’ll be plenty of attention on him to see if he can become that baldy-faced assassin that I believe he can be.”
Cascadian has drawn the outside gate in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes and Damien Oliver will be looking to find some cover in the early stages.
Early betting at Ladbrokes.com.au has Cascadian at the double figure odds of $14 while his stablemate Savatiano is one of the more fancied runners at $5.
Noted first up performer Savatiano is resuming and mark Zahra will have no trouble finding a handy spot from barrier three in the eleven-horse P.B. Lawrence Stakes field.
“She missed her first-up run last week due to the heavy track, but she comes here in the same shape and with similar prospects,” Cummings said.
“She’s shown how explosive she can be first up and under the right track conditions she’ll get the chance to put that talent on show.”
The Adam Trinder trained Mystic Journey heads the betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for the P.B. Lawrence Stakes at $4.20 while Arcadia Queen shares the $5 mark with Savatiano just ahead of Regal Power at $6.
