Eloping on trial for Robert Sangster Stakes

Speedy filly Eloping is on trial for a shot at Group 1 glory in the $400,000 William Hill Classic (Registered as Robert Sangster Stakes) (1200m) at Morphettville on May 2 when she resumes at Caulfield on Saturday.

Eloping will earn a trip to Adelaide with a good performance when she resumes at Caulfield on the weekend. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Eloping will earn a trip to Adelaide with a good performance when she resumes at Caulfield on the weekend. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Eloping is prepared by Peter Morgan and Craig Widdison at Whittlesea and the filly has been nominated for two races this weekend, the Listed $120,000 Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) and the $150,000 VOBIS Gold Sprint (1200m).

A good performance by the Choisir filly in either race on Saturday could see her head to Adelaide to take on the fillies and mares at Group 1 level or she could be kept to her own age group and be saved for the Group 2 $250,000 William Hill Stakes (Registered Euclase Stakes) (1200m) the following week.

Eloping hasn’t raced since beating two home when seventh to Written Dash in the Group 3 $150,000 Typhoon Tracy Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on February 27 but Morgan is pleased with her progress on the tracks since .

A recent trip to Tatura for an 850m barrier trial on April 10 saw Eloping impress with a three and a quarter lengths win over the well performed Pago Rock, indicating that she was ready to run up to her best on Saturday.

“She seems in reasonably good order now and hasn’t done anything wrong at the moment, so I have to be happy with her,” Morgan told AAP.

Eloping was racing in peak form during the 2014 Melbourne Spring Carnival and put back to back wins togethers in the Group 3 $150,000 Blackwoods Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 26 and the Listed $250,000 Catanach’s Jewellers Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on October 15.

Eloping is at the top of the ballot order in the VOBIS Gold Sprint and will carry 55kg under the set weights conditions while in the Bel Esprit Stakes the filly is number fourteen in the order of entry and is weighted on the minimum with 54kg.

The front running filly has earned over $1million in prizemoney for her connections with six wins from fifteen starts with a huge slice of her earnings coming from the $300,000 winner’s cheque she received in winning the Group 3 $500,000 Girvan Waugh Royal Randwick Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on the second day of ‘The Championships’ during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Carnival.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.