Co-trainer Lee Freedman has confirmed that the 2015 Caulfield Cup is a possible target for promising German stayer Guardini.
Guardini has European form round 2014 Cox Plate winner Adelaide and could contest the 2015 Caulfield Cup. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett
Guardini stamped himself as a horse to follow when he took out the Group 3 Prix Du Lys Longines (2400m) at Chantilly on June 15 and he was purchased by connections involved with the Freedman stable after he finished seventh in the Group 1 Preis Von Europa (2414m) at Cologne on September 28.
The Dalakhani entire started his autumn campaign with a win in the Group 2 Gerling-Preis (2414m) in Germany, but he failed to fire in the Group 2 Grand Prix De Chantilly (2400m) on May 31 and produced another flat effort in the Group 2 Grosser Hansa-Preis at Hamburg on June 28.
The Australian Department of Agriculture lifted a ban on equine exports from Germany yesterday and Freedman told Racing Ahead this morning that Guardini would likely make the trip to Australia for a possible Caulfield Cup tilt, while stablemate and beaten German Derby favourite Shimrano could also join him on the plane to Australia but will not race during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival.
“That discussion will take place this week as to our plans with both of those horses, but preliminary discussions with Ozzie Kheir yesterday indicates that Guardini will be coming down for the spring and we are still waiting to see how Shimrano came through his Derby run,” Freedman said.
“Guardini is a horse that has shown a lot of promise over there.
“He won a Group 2 over a mile and a half first-up and then he backed up a couple of weeks later in a race at Chantilly and didn’t run up to scratch.
“The trainer thought that the horse was just a bit flat after his first-up win and the horse then ran again a couple of weeks ago and pulled up with a couple of issues that had to be addresses in terms of shoeing.
“It is my understanding that the horse is back on target and would be a realistic chance to run in a Caulfield Cup and maybe further.
“This is all stuff that has to be worked out next week.”
Freedman has won the Caulfield Cup with Mannerism (1992), Paris Lane (1994), Doriemus (1995) and Mummify (2003), but Team Freedman has not had a runner in the $3 million event since German import Lucas Cranach finished fifth behind Southern Speed in the 2011 edition of the race.
