Sincero is a chance of returning to the races in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 8 after impressing trainer Stephen Farley with his performance in a barrier trial at Gosford on Tuesday.
Sincero is a chance of contesting the Doncaster Mile or the Queen Elizabeth Stakes during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Sincero finished second behind Kim Waugh-trained Oxford Heart in an open trial over 1000 metres and Farley told Racing Ahead this morning that he is happy with the progress the Umatilla gelding has made so far this preparation.
“Tuesday was very nice,” Farley said.
“He has done what he had to; he finished second in the trial and had a nice blow.
“We are very happy with where he is up to and he looks a lot fitter or trimmer this time around.
“Hopefully everything can hold together heading into the autumn.”
Sincero has proven throughout his racing career that he is capable of performing well at Group level, winning the 2011 Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) and the 2011 Group `1 George Main Stakes (1500m), and Farley plans on giving the six-year-old the chance to record another victory at the highest level of racing.
The Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 12 and the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at the same venue on April 19 are both on the agenda for Sincero and Farley said that he will wait until his star galloper returns to racing before making a decision on which race to target during The Championships.
“We have two options at the moment; whether he has another barrier trial or runs in the Expressway on Saturday week,” Farley said.
“We will give him another gallop or two and then make our decision.
“We will nom for the Doncaster and we are going to let him tell us how he is going and where he is up too.
“The Doncaster or the Queen Elizabeth are probably the main two options.”
Sincero returned to racing during the 2013 Spring Racing, after almost a year in the paddock, and failed to recapture his previous form.
He resumed with a 13th place finish in the Group 3 Tramway Stakes (1400m) and beat home just a single runner in the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) before failing to fire when 13th behind Boban in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m).
