Rich Enuff drew the outside barrier for the 2014 Caulfield Guineas Prelude, but trainer Ken Keys still expects the speedy colt to take up the running in the Group 3 event at Caulfield on Sunday.
Rich Enuff has the chance to record a third straight win at Group level when he contests the 2014 Caulfield Guineas Prelude on Sunday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Rich Enuff ran impressive sectionals when he led all the way to take out the Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on August 23 and he proved that performance was no fluke when he took out the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 13.
Keys told Racing Ahead that the outside barrier draw was not ideal, but he still expects jockey Michael Rodd to lead on the Written Tycoon colt and he is confident that his star galloper can still run out a strong 1400 metres in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude.
“I’m sure Michael has already worked out how he is going to have to do the miracle stuff and I don’t think he will need much of my help,” Keys told Racing Ahead.
“In an ideal world it would be nice, but he has such a high cruising speed that I think he would be fighting pretty strong against the rider to make him go less than that.
“He travels easy in a comfort zone, so that is my biggest concern about trying to drag him because he is not comfortable when he is being held back from how he likes to run.
“I don’t mean that he has to take off and charge, but there is this comfort zone for him.
“As a younger horse we rode him back a few times, but they were in 800 metre trials.
“Watching his last couple of starts he hasn’t been driven to those places, that is where he has naturally landed.
“You loathe to give up too much of it.
“I obviously would have liked to see him with a better barrier and all those sort of things, but for my mind the barrier is the issue for me and not the distance.”
While Keys was not thrilled with the Caulfield Guineas Prelude barrier draw of Rich Enuff, the Cranbourne-based trainer remains delighted with the condition of the talented colt and said that he came through his Danehill Stakes victory with no issues.
“He is very well and I couldn’t be any happier with him,” Keys said.
“Michael came down and rode him Tuesday and he was very happy with how he felt and did.
“The horse is very fit, so he doesn’t need a lot of hard work and hasn’t had a lot of hard work.
“He has the glow about him that you know when a horse is pretty well.”
Rich Enuff is currently available at 2014 Caulfield Guineas Prelude odds of $5 and is on the second line of betting from Looks Like The Cat ($3.50).
