Caulfield Cup hopeful Mr Quickie is getting closer to a return to the race track and will have a slow build up to his main 2020 Melbourne Spring Carnival targets.
Mr Quickie, above, will have a slow build up towards the 2020 Caulfield Cup at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trainer Phillip Stokes will set Mr Quickie for the 2020 Group 1 $5m Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 17 but will step him out in much weaker grade before tackling Group 1 company again.
“We’re just going to start him off in a lower rating race just to try to get him back winning again,” Stokes told AAP.
“He’ll obviously be nominated for Caulfield Cup and all that but he will only go there if his form warrants it.
“Last time in he started off first-up in the All-Star Mile and wasn’t beaten that far, but we’re going to just lower the expectations and maybe just start him off in an open handicap this time around and work it out after that.
“He looks fantastic. He had a very soft jump-out at Pakenham on Wednesday and he’ll have two more of those and we’ll have him nice and forward for a 1400-metre race at Caulfield.”
Mr Quickie hasn’t found the winner’s stall since winning the Group 1 $600,000 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm during the 2019 Brisbane Winter Carnival but did finish third behind Gatting and Mystic Journey in the Group 1 $750,000 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington during the 2019 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Mr Quickie finished eleventh in last year’s Caulfield Cup and has been posted at $51 at Ladbrokes.com.au for this year’s Group 1 2400m staying test.
The Team Hawkes trained Master Of Wine heads the Caulfield Cup betting at $9 ahead of South Australian Derby winner Russian Camelot at $11 and the Chris Waller trained Verry Elleegant at $12.
Master Of Wine had no trouble handling the Caulfield Cup distance of 2400m with a convincing win in the Listed $140,000 City Tattersalls Club Cup at Randwick as his final outing for the 2019 Spring Carnival.
The Team Hawkes trained five year old resumed in the Autumn for a first up win in a 1400m BenchMark 100 Handicap at Rosehill and then made it two wins in a row at Rosehill with a win in the Group 3 $350,000 Sky High Stakes (2000m).
Master Of Wine was then tested at Group 1 level and finished fourth behind Addeybb in the $2m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Day Two of The Championships on April 11.
Early betting for the 2020 Caulfield Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au: $9 Master Of Wine, $11 Russian Camelot, $12 Verry Elleegant, $17 Colette, $19 Shared Ambition, $21 Surprise Baby, $26 Aktau, Kinane, King Of Leogrance, Regal Power, San Huberto, Young Rascal, $34 Arcadia Queen, Finche, Vanna Girl, Zebrwoski, $41 or better the rest.
