The Darren Weir stable are heading to Sydney over the summer with Rageese including a next-up run in the Festival Stakes 2016 after the horse missed a Group 1 Perth run due to a hoof issue.
Scratched Railway Stakes hope Rageese will run in the 2016 Festival Stakes Saturday week in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.
After winning the Group 3 Chatham Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Oaks Day, Street Cry four-year-old Rageese travelled over to W.A. for a run in last weekend’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m).
The stallion was a top-fancy in betting but missed the race, scratched the day before after suffering a problem with his hoof.
Rageese returned home to Victoria this week but will hit the road again soon, Weir’s stable foreman Jarrod McLean confirming plans to run the galloper at Rosehill Gardens on December 3 in the $150,000 Listed Festival Stakes (1500m).
That will two scheduled Sydney Summer Racing Carnival starts for the Group 1 placed horse who will continue onto the Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) up over a mile at Royal Randwick on December 17.
“He’ll do a reverse gallop on the course proper at Warrnambool on Saturday morning in preparation with Lucky Hussler,” McLean told Racing Victoria.
McLean also confirmed the stable would send a partner to travel with Rageese when he heads up to Sydney, but ruled Lucky Hussler out with the Group 1 winner to stay in Victoria until January’s Magic Millions Carnival at the Gold Coast.
“We’re not 100 per cent sure who it will be yet, but we’re definitely keen to send a travelling companion with him,” he said.
The past two Villiers Stakes winners – Happy Clapper (2015) and Rudy (2014) – came off a last start win.
Ninth Legion (2013) three years ago was the last Festival Stakes graduate to back-up and win the Villiers improving on his 11th in the lead-up run when the latter was run at Randwick’s Kensington track.
The year before (2012) All Legal ran seventh in the Festival Stakes before winning the Villiers in a tight finish at Warwick Farm.
Also Villiers Stakes bound this summer is the Group 1 performed High Midnight who lines-up in the $100,000 #TheRaces Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill this weekend.
“He is in at the right time to be able to compete in a Villiers if he is good enough, or a Bernborough in Queensland,” trainer James Cummings said.
“But there are $100,000 races on every week [in Sydney] so we will just see how he goes.”
The $175,000 Listed Bernborough Handicap (1600m) runs over the Doomben mile on December 24.
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