Group One winner Doctor Doom resumes at Warwick Farm tomorrow to begin a program trainer Guy Walter hopes will land this year's $1.5m Australian Derby.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The fast-developing stayer hasn't raced since early October where he landed a gutsy salute in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), just his third career win, and will likely find the pace in Saturday's crack Royal Sovereign field a bit quick.
But the race is purely a stepping stone to inject the horse with some race fitness – his first major assignment will be the $500,000 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 31 before his grand final two weeks later in the Australian Derby (2400m).
Jockey Rod Quinn, who piloted the horse to Group One success over the spring, will ride Doctor Doom again tomorrow and likely stick with him over a potentially lucrative autumn.
He's been steering the horse around trackwork and said the son of Domesday had returned in excellent order.
“He's come back quite good, he's quite strong and everything,” Quinn said.
“They'll most probably be a bit sharp for him tomorrow over 1200 but I expect him to run quite well.
“He's not a stayer with dash, he's got speed but he doesn't dash he gets up to top speed and keeps going.
“The likes of Manawanui and that will just be a bit sharp.”
Manawanui will jump as the well-backed favourite tomorrow, returning from a scintillating spring campaign which netted the Group One Golden Rose (1400m), The Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) and the Moonee Valley Vase (2000m).
He headlines an impressive field which also includes Hot Snitzel and the returning Salade.
And while the race probably won't suit Doctor Doom, Quinn said his horse would be much better performed when he stepped up to further.
“Once he gets up to like 1600 and 2000 and that and beyond that's definitely when he's going to come into his own,” Quinn said.
“He's a definite chance in those sort of races.”
Doctor Doom headlines a solid book at Warwick Farm for Quinn tomorrow, which also includes track villain Skateboard.
Quinn appears to have settled the horse, which bucked young rider Ben Vassallo off his back at Warwick Farm earlier this year.
Underneath Quinn the horse has since won a barrier trial, won a race at Canterbury and finished third at Rosehill last start.
“He's got a few tricks about him old Skateboard but he seems to be going quite well,” Quinn said.
“I thought his run was quite good last Saturday, he wasn't 100 per cent happy in the going but he ran quite well.
“That was quite a strong race last Saturday, Providing we don't get any rain tonight and the track's not too bad I'd expect him to race very well in that race tomorrow.”
