Solzhenitsyn joined a small group of horses to claim back to back Toorak Handicap successes when taking out the feature mile event at Caulfield last Saturday.
First conducted in 1881, only four winners prior to Saturday in Saxony (1948-49), Desert Breeze (1952-53), Nicopolis (1963-64) and Umrum (1999-2000) had tasted consecutive Toorak Handicap successes.
Regardless, it didn’t stop the Robert Heathcote-trained galloper from starting favourite for the 2013 renewal at Caulfield last Saturday.
The seven-year-old won the 2012 Toorak Handicap (1600m) with just a 52kg impost and despite an extra 6kg on his back last Saturday was still highly regarded after solid showings so far this campaign in the Theo Marks Stakes (1400m) and a minor placing in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).
Full credit must go to jockey Nash Rawiller who was able to settle Solzhenitsyn fifth on the fence as Budriguez led the strung out field around.
The pair edged closer to the early leaders three wide around the home turn before bursting out of the pack in the final furlong.
Trevieres made a most encouraging Australian debut as he charged home late for second while Blackie ran well above market expectations to fill third.
Solzhenitsyn’s second Toorak Handicap success yielded the seven-year-old a new peak Timeform figure of 123, two pounds higher than the gelding’s prior master rating posted the start prior when third in the Sir Rupert Clarke.
His latest victory comes in higher than the previous five year winning average of the Toorak Handicap and shares the equal second highest Toorak Handicap winning figure since 1991 alongside Umrum (2000) and Red Dazzler (2006).
They sit one pound shy of the Gai Waterhouse-trained More Joyous who carried 58kg to victory in the 2010 renewal.
He continued the reputation the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes has as a key form race with 11 horses since 1991 coming out of the event to taste Toorak success a fortnight later.
Solzhenitsyn will have his next start in the Group 2 Crystal Mile on Cox Plate Day which at one point had been on the St Petersburg gelding’s radar.
The seven-year-old's latest spring campaign will progress along a similar path to what he embarked on 12 months ago when measuring up well in both the Crystal Mile and the Group 1 Emirates Stakes.
There is also the possibility Solzhenitsyn is upped in trip for the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Derby Day.
Like a fine wine, Solzhenitsyn appears to be getting better with age as evidenced by the fact he has recorded a new master figure with each outing this campaign.
He will need this upward trend to continue for another 12 months based on the desire of connections to aim him at the 2014 renewal of the Cox Plate.
Solzhenitsyn’s new peak figure of 123 sees him come in well short of the current five year winning average of the Cox Plate.
It very much seems like a case of dare to dream for those involved with Solzhenitsyn considering just two horses since the events inception in 1922 have won at eight-years-old and upwards.
That pair are grand old veterans Super Impose (1992) at eight and Fields Of Omagh (2006) who as a nine-year-old, wound back the clock to emulate his Cox Plate heroics from three seasons earlier.
Trevieres is certainly one to keep an eye on after charging home from worse than midfield for second.
The five-year-old is enjoying a breakout 2013 having won three of his seven starts.
He eclipsed his previous master Timeform figure by three pounds and connections now have to decide what lies in store for the Gold Away gelding.
Having won between 1600m and 2000m in France, Trevieres could follow Solzhenitsyn to the Crystal Mile and Emirates Stakes this spring or step up to 2000m and contest the Mackinnon Stakes on Derby Day.
With a master Timeform rating of 112 garnered only last Saturday, keeping the Northern Hemisphere five-year-old under handicap conditions might be the way to go for the time being.
