‘Tough old stayer’ sets a task for South Australians

FRESHWATER Creek trainer Jamie Edwards has promised to turn today’s $30,000 Filly and Fox Fundraiser Handicap at Morphettville into a true staying test with Macrobius.

The tough seven-year-old comes up against a bunch of horses largely untested at 1950m, and Edwards plans to use that to his advantage with the frontrunning Macrobius.

Apprentice Fred Kersley has been booked to ride Macrobius, who will carry 57.5kg after his claim.

“It’s a roll of the dice, really,” Edwards said.

“He gets in really good at the weights. Most of the horses in the race have good form over a mile, so a lot of them haven’t even gone to 2000m.

“If I make this a genuine 2000m race, they might look good over a mile, but their speed gets dragged out of them over 2000m.

“A lot of them are also lightly raced with seven or eight starts, while he is an old, tough staying horse that will bowl along on the speed and set a strong tempo.”

Today’s race doubles as the 12th heat of the Sky Beau series.

Edwards said he was planning several trips across the border with his horses during the Spring Carnival.

“What they’ve done in South Australia is have these series, and the finals are worth $100,000,” Edwards said. “They are only 75 rating races, the finals. So he will go over there and if he can happen to win or be placed in a series heat then he goes around in a final that's a benchmark 75 worth $100,000 on (Melbourne) Cup Day.

“I’m more or less thinking that all the reasonably graded horses will come over here to Victoria. They all want to run over the four days of our carnival.

“I’m just not sure how strong the Adelaide races are going to be.

“We will take Fill The Flute back there on Derby Day and maybe him back there on Cup Day.”