Luckygray’s ability to handle a wet track for the first time at Caulfield tomorrow will help connections mapped out the remainder of his Spring campaign.
The top Western Australian galloper is a winner of ten from thirteen starts but hasn’t raced on anything worst than a dead 5 in the West.
Luckygray’s debut run in Melbourne will also be his debut run in the wet when he lines up against some handy gallopers in the Group 2 $220,000 Back To Caulfield P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) tomorrow.
Perth trainer Gino Poletti knows that he has no control over the weather and will have to wait and see what unfolds tomorrow before planning any further into the Spring.
“I’ve just put it out of my mind because I can’t control it,” Poletti said.
“The horse has only raced on a Good 3 to a Dead 5, so we’ve just got to take it how it comes.”
Poletti said that it took a couple of days for Luckygray to settle in at Aquanita Lodge, Caulfield, at his first trip away from home, but he is expecting the Bradbury’s Luck five year old to be competitive.
“It took him a few days, he’s never been away before but I’m quite happy with the horse now,” Poletti said.
“We worked him on the course proper on Tuesday and he had a good look around.”
Luckygray has a perfect three from three first up record and Poletti isn’t worried about the five year old handling the 1400m at his first run since beating Grand Nirvana in the Group 3 $125,000 Hyperion Stakes (1600m) at Belmont on June 23.
“It’ s bit of an ask, he hasn’t raced for seven weeks but 1400m is a good journey for him and I think he’ll be quite competitive,” Poletti said.
“There are two or three other smart horses in the race and it’s all going to be different for him but that’s what we’re here for, to find out.”
Poletti isn’t planning to stay too long in Melbourne and wants to give Luckygray every chance to get over the trip and prepare for the Perth Summer Carnival.
“If he’s competitive here, he’ll run in the Memsie in a fortnight and we’ll just sum up after that,” Poletti said.
“It won’t be a long stay because there are two races we’ve earmarked for him back at out carnival.”
“He’ll have three runs in Victroia, four max.”
Luckygray was one of the stars of the 2011 Summer Carnival taking out the Group 1 $1m Carlton Draught Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 19 and was then spelled after finishing fifth to Playing God in the Group 1 $500,000 GR Engineering Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot on December 3.
Poletti then produced Luckygray for three undefeated runs at Belmont through the winter.
Early markets for the Lawrence Stakes sees Luckygray sharing favouritism with the Peter Moody trained Ready To Rip at $3.60, ahead of Group 1 winner Heart Of Dreams at $6.00 and Rekindled Interest at $6.50.
