Robbie Laing’s four-year-old stallion Lord Of The Sky will have an easy week leading up to Saturday’s Bletchingly Stakes 2015 after a strong Sunday gallop between races at Cranbourne over the weekend.
Lord Of The Sky is after his first win in over a year in Saturday’s 2015 Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
The dual Group 1 runner-up was put through his paces over 600m with jockey Damien Oliver in the saddle on Sunday working outside of Just For Starters before crossing only a head off the other runner on the line.
It was a solid piece of work that proved to Laing the son of Danerich was ready to atone for a disappointing first-up seventh when beaten five and a half lengths by the winner Miss Promiscuity in the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on July 4.
Lord Of The Sky, who before that ran second to Chautauqua in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick in April and second to Flamberge in Adelaide’s Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) in May, was the $2.20 Monash Stakes favourite, but had a luckless run.
Laing is confident of improvement second-up back at Caulfield Racecourse on Saturday in the $150,000 Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m), the horseman having changed things up leading into the winter feature.
“The horse is a terrific competitor but he wasn’t that day,” Laing told Racing Victoria.
“I thought back to Sydney when he went five evens before he went up for the TJ Smith, had a walk on Friday, they called the races off on the Saturday so he had another walk.
“He’s gone into the TJ Smith on a light preparation and run the race of his life whereas first up (Monash Stakes), with him having put on a bit of beef he had two strong gallops on Saturday and Tuesday and went pretty hard on the Thursday.
“He went to the races pretty doughy and not in the mood to run fast. He missed the kick and that was the end of him.
“We’ve freshened him up a bit since his disappointing first-up run.
“He’s had a good strong gallop on the grass, he ran three (furlongs, 600m) in 36 (seconds) on that Heavy track.
“We’ll give him a pretty easy week from here on in and see how we go in the Bletchingly.”
Lord Of The Sky hasn’t won a race in over 12 months, his latest being in the 2014 Sir John Monash Stakes.
He went straight from that into the Bletchingly Stakes last winter also and finished three and a half lengths away fourth behind Thiamandi in the Group 3.
On Saturday in his second attempt in the weight-for-age feature, Lord Of The Sky will likely face off against a similar field to the Monash Stakes including winner Miss Promiscuity whose trainers David Hayes & Tom Dabernig are keen to back-up.
Stay tuned to Races.com.au for all the latest on the Bletchingly Stakes 2015 then visit Ladbrokes.com.au for the best markets on this weekend’s feature and the upcoming Spring Group 1s!
