Stablemates Tyzone and Vanna Girl could face off against each other during the 2020 Sydney Spring Carnival in the Group 1 $1m Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on October 3.
Tyzone, above in orange colours, is being aimed towards the 2020 Epsom Handicap at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Toby and Trent Edmonds trained Tyzone joined the Group 1 winner’s club with his barnstorming late finish to take out the Group 1 $350,000 The Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 6.
Co-trainer Trent Edmonds said that a Melbourne Spring Carnival campaign had been in the planning for Tyzone but with the new coronavirus restrictions, the rising seven year old would now head to Sydney for the Spring.
“With the coronavirus restrictions in place, I think it has forced our hand to run him in Sydney during the Spring,” Trent Edmonds told Sky Racing’s Racing HQ.
“We had initially planned on taking him to Melbourne, but that seems to be a bit of a mission at the moment and we might have to revaluate.”
“There are a lot of races in the Spring for Tyzone.”
“Jeff Lloyd used to do a lot of work on Tyzone and he was of the opinion that he would run a mile. So with him winning a Stradbroke I guess you maybe have to have a crack at a race like the Epsom and the handicap conditions suit him.”
“That will be sort of a Grand Final for him.”
“His rating would be too high to start him off up here (in Queensland) and he would be carrying 63kg and 64kg in Open Handicaps, so that is a bridge too far so he would be definitely coming down to Sydney to race throughout in his prep.”
The Edmonds trained Vanna Girl was also one of the stars of the Brisbane Winter Carnival after she strung together four straight wins when she stormed home to win the Group 2 $175,000 Magic Millions The Roses (1800m) at Eagle Farm on June 13.
Both Tyzone and Vanna Girl are back in their Gold Coast stable following a short break and Trent Edmonds has also earmarked the Epsom Handicap as a possible Spring target for Vanna Girl.
“Tyzone and Vanna Girl are back in work now. They came back at the start of last week and have a had a week of a little bit of grounding work and we will head to Sydney with both of them,” Trent Edmonds said.
“I have no doubt Vanna Girl can get further (than 1800m). She might end up a nice 2000m horse and possibly even beyond, but for now we might have to have crack at a race like the Epsom as well with her down in the Handicaps and kept to a mile.”
“She is certainly untapped, and she was going the right way before we sent her for a break.”
Tyzone and Vanna Girl are both marked at $26 in early betting for the 2020 Epsom Handicap.
The Chris Waller trained Funstar is the early favourite for the Epsom Handicap at $7 with Ladbtokes.com.au ahead of Alligator Blood at $10 and Fierce Impact and Melody Belle at $12.
