Progressive stayer Sertorius is set to back up in the 2014 Chairman’s Handicap at Royal Randwick on Saturday after pulling up well from his impressive fourth place finish in the Group 1 The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill Gardens last weekend.
Sertorius has been well backed to win the 2014 Chairman's Handicap at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Sertorius produced one of the best performances of his career in The BMW and trainer Jamie Edwards told Sky Racing HQ that he can’t believe how well the son of Galileo has pulled up from the tough performance.
The Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Royal Randwick next weekend is the major 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival goal for Sertorius and Edwards said that he believes the six-year-old may need another run before he is ready for the testing staying trip.
“We are just going to play it by ear in the next 48 hours or so, but the horse has pulled up ridiculously well from his run in The BMW the other day,” Edwards said.
“He has just trained on so well.
“My only concern was that it was going to be his first crack at two mile going into the Sydney Cup and he is that fresh and well after his run in The BMW that I would have had to give him three really solid gallops here at Rosehill.
“I spoke to the owner and he said that we will leave the option of running him in The Chairman.
“That will hopefully have enough work to go into the Sydney Cup.”
Sertorius will be forced to run three weeks in a row if he contests the Chairman’s Handicap this weekend, but Edwards does not believe that will be a problem for the tough gelding.
Edwards said that Sertorius relished having three starts in a row during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival, which ended with an impressive victory in the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Caulfield on November 16, and the Freshwater Creek-based trainer is hoping that his star galloper can replicate those performances in the next fortnight.
“We have done it before with him; he won the Bendigo Cup and we backed him up in the Queen Elizabeth and backed him up in the Zipping and he was very good in the Zipping,” Edwards said.
“He was almost looking for further when he won in the Zipping.
“The horse has done it before and I would not have even contemplated it if the horse hadn’t pulled up so well.
“He has a dapple in his coat for the first time in a couple of months and you will see in the enclosure how much better in the coat he is.
“He has definitely trained on after running in The BMW.”
Sertorius ($3.30) is currently battling for favoritism in 2014 Chairman’s Handicap betting markets with Gai Waterhouse-trained The Offer ($3.30), while there has also been support for imported stayer Opinion.
