Lord Of The Sky has drifted out to 2015 Bletchingly Stakes odds of $3, but trainer Robbie Laing remains confident that the frustrating sprinter is ready to run well in the Group 3 event at Caulfield tomorrow.
Lord Of The Sky has not recorded a race win since he took out the 2014 edition of the Sir John Monash Stakes. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Lord Of The Sky went into the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1200m) as a dominant favourite following second place finishes in both the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 6 and the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 16, but he was slow out of the gates and never looked like a winning chance.
Laing told Racing Ahead that his team may have overworked Lord Of The Sky in the lead-up to the Sir John Monash Stakes and he said that he had given the Danerich entire a much easier time heading into the 2015 Bletchingly Stakes this weekend.
“We have been very light with him since he galloped on Sunday and he was full of himself this morning,” Laing said.
“He only had a walk and a roll, but that is all he did in Sydney before the T.J. Smith for three days.
“He has been in work for 12 months, so I don’t think that it will be a problem for him.
“We probably did too much with him (before the Sir John Monash Stakes) because he was pretty lethargic, but he missed the kick and got knocked down which didn’t help matters.
“It was obvious he was not 100 percent because his form was brilliant leading into it and he ran about a second slower than what we expected.”
Lord Of The Sky was slow out of the gates in the Sir John Monash Stakes, but he has normally shown a great deal of early speed throughout his racing career and Laing is hopeful that jockey Craig Newitt will be able to settle the rising five-year-old right on the speed in the early stages of the Bletchingly Stakes.
“Froggy should be able to get him to begin and the other Danerich horse might lead him, which is ok because Rain Affair led him pretty easy in Sydney and when he got his revs up he flew past him,” Laing said.
“If he begins well he will lead or be handy.”
Lord Of The Sky will press on to the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 15 and the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 29 if he performs well in the Bletchingly Stakes this weekend.
Lindsay Park-trained Petrology has been the best-backed runner with Ladbrokes and he has been back into 2015 Bletchingly Stakes odds of $6.50 after opening at $8 earlier in the week.
