There has been plenty of rain in Sydney in the last 24 hours, but trainer Gary Nickson believes that the prospect of a wet track at Royal Randwick tomorrow afternoon is not an issue for Voilier.
Voilier will have the chance to return to winning form in the 2016 Carrington Stakes at Royal Randwick tomorrow. Photo by: Steve Hart
Voilier was sent to the spelling paddock after he failed to fire in the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) at Royal Randwick on September 5, but he returned to the races with a close second behind Rule The River in the ATC Farewells A Thomas Handicap (1000m) at Royal Randwick on Boxing Day before he finished a credible third in the TFE Hotels Handicap (1100m) at Canterbury on January 9.
Nickson was originally set to run Voilier in the Cellarbrations Handicap over 1200 metres before he returned to Group level in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 6, but the Warwick Farm-based trainer believes that this is the perfect race for the three-year-old and he is confident that he will have no problems handling the rain-affected track.
“We decided to go that way because he is going to meet the older horses somewhere along the track this preparation and also it didn’t’ look overly strongly,” Nickson said.
“After his last run around Canterbury, I made the comment that I wished the Eskimo Prince was 1400 instead of 1200, so when this presented itself I thought it was the perfect race for him.
“He doesn’t mind the soft track and he is the bottom weight.
“Both runs have been good and he has had a wind operation, which the vet hopes will see him find a couple of lengths.”
Voilier was settled just behind the speed in his two race starts this preparation and he has generally shown a fair bit of tactical versatility during his racing career to date.
He is yet to take up the running in any of his race starts, but Nickson revealed that he would not be surprised to see Kathy O’Hara press forward on Voilier in the early stages of the 2016 Carrington Stakes tomorrow.
“He has a high cruising speed the horse and once he gets mobile he works into the finish, rather than a quick turn-of-foot,” Nickson said.
“Over seven furlongs tomorrow it wouldn’t surprise me if he raced forward or led.”
Voilier is currently available at 2016 Carrington Stakes odds of $4.80 with Ladbrokes and he is on the third line of betting behind Medcaut ($2.80) and You’ll Never ($4.20).
