Last Saturday’s Caulfield winner Precious Gem will now head to Adelaide for the Group 1 $400,000 UBET Classic (Registered as Robert Sangster Stakes) (1200m) at Morphettville on May 7.
Precious Gem is set to head to Adelaide for the Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Precious Gem collected her first black type race when she came from well back in the field to win the Listed $120,000 TROA Anniversary Vase (1400m) and trainer Henry Dwyer is keen to chase more riches over the Adelaide Autumn Carnival.
Dwyer is also eyeing off a trip to Queensland for the Brisbane Winter Carnival where Precious Gem can run in the Group 3 $150,000 Glenlogan Park Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on May 28 before going through the sales ring at the Magic Millions venue at the Gold Coast.
“There is a 1350m race on at Doomben which is her main target, the Glenlogan Park, a few days before she goes to the ring so I am interested in getting her there,” Dwyer told RSN’s Racing Ahead.
“We might even drop her back to 1200m with three weeks in between runs, the Sangster over in Adelaide.”
“So you got three weeks into the Sangster and then three weeks into the Glenlogan Park.”
Dwyer said that Precious Gem, the winner of seven of her thirty-four race starts, is due to head to stud in the Spring and the owners had agreed to send her through the sales ring at the Gold Coast National Sales which includes broodmares lots from June 1 to June 5.
While Dwyer will still have the Econsul mare under his care for the Glenlogan Park Stakes prior to the sales, the new owners will decide if she races on for a couple of more runs before heading off to the breeding barn.
“I will have her for the Glenlogan Park which is three or four days before she goes into the ring and then whoever buys her can make a decision what they want to do with her,” Dwyer said.
“She is a six year old mare and she is earmarked to go stud this year. A big group of owners that are in her and they have had a very enjoyable ride along the way and now is the time that is at the peak of her commercial powers and I suppose in terms of getting a good price for her.
“The Magic Millions National Sales is on at the Gold Coast and I think she is going through the ring on the second of June so we have got a couple of more runs in her before she gets there and then someone else can have a crack at her with a couple of more runs in Group races up in Queensland and send her to stud this year.”
Even tough Dwyer had stretched Precious Gem out to 1700m with success at 1600m as well along the way, he is convinced that her pet distance is around the 1300m and 1400m mark.
“I think her absolute peak in 1300m or 1400m and when the pace is on she can swoop home like that and get a cart into it and only need to use her sprint for 200m or 300m,” Dwyer said.
“She really does have good turn of foot. On her day when conditions suit, she is probably up there with the best of those sprinting mares I would have thought.”
Precious Gem was only having her second run back from a spell in the Anniversary Vase and put the writing on the board with a first up second to Thermal Current in the Listed $120,000 Ladbrokes Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington on April 2.
