Talented Kiwi stayer Trust In You has crossed the Tasman on a Cups pursuit and is set to make his Australian debut in Saturday’s Gr.3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.
The son of Sweynesse was a prominent figure in the top distance races throughout last season, winning the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Final (2400m) and backing that up with a stunning display in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth Cup (2400m) a week later.
He finished a creditable sixth in each of the Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m) and Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) to complete the season, and on his return, the gelding has given trainers Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley enough confidence to push onto a potential tilt at the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 5.
"His two runs have been good, in the first he just didn't really handle the track at Ruakaka, then his second was really good, he didn't handle the track there (Matamata) either, but he got home quite nicely," Cooksley said.
"He's definitely going to improve off those two races."
The Byerley Park training partnership were spoilt for choice when considering which race to kick-off with, but they have selected the Kingston Town Stakes, favouring the 2000m range ahead of the A$1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m).
Arriving in Sydney last Sunday, Trust In You has settled in well to life at Randwick according to Cooksley, and will be ridden by Reese Jones in Saturday's contest.
"He's come over on Sunday, he's done a bit of pacework and seems to have settled in," he said.
"This is the first time he's really travelled and he's doing well, he hasn't lost any weight and eating all his food.
"He'll race on Saturday in the Kingston Town Stakes as it suits at the 2000 metres, then he'll go on to the Metropolitan after that.
"It really just depends, after the Metropolitan (Gr.1, 2400m) he'll probably run in the St Leger Stakes here, and if he's going well, he'll probably go to Melbourne. If not, we'll just head back to New Zealand and race there over the carnivals."
