FILLY DESERVES A RUN IN THE SUN
CHRIS Calthorpe is poised to send Media Award north for a tilt at another Group 1 next month — and the Geelong trainer has not ruled out an attempt at spring carnival success this year.
The three-year-old filly will travel to Brisbane for the Queensland Oaks on June 5.
Calthorpe said he would have “one more throw at the stumps” at a Group 1 with the Australasian Oaks winner in her final run this preparation.
“(If) everything goes good here and she can spell up there for four or five weeks, see how she acquits herself in that sort of company up there,” he said. “Timing-wise, it just seems good for her.
“We’ve had pretty much a blemish-free preparation so far and the fact the two Oaks races are four weeks apart gives us time to get her home and give her a freshen up, get her right, get her up there and settle her in, and cross my fingers she might be a dual Group 1 winner.”
Media Award has had three starts this preparation and Calthorpe said she was “on the way up”.
“When I sat down and worked out a plan with her in December, January, I spoke to the owners and said I wanted a four-run prep,” he said. “Third run in, she’s got plenty left in the tank. At the moment, all the indications are that we’ll head there (Queensland Oaks). It’s pretty exciting.”
Calthorpe could run her in a Cox Plate or Caulfield Cup during Melbourne’s spring carnival but will likely target Perth’s Railway Stakes and Kingston Town Classic.
“I’ve sort of worked out a plan going forward from here that (we) get to Brisbane, race in Brisbane, give her five or six weeks off up there, bring her back, give her one run in Melbourne, second-up into a Railway Stakes, third-up into a Kingston Town and that can be that prep done,” he said.
“As much as I’d love to have a horse in a Cox Plate or Caulfield Cup, we’ve also got to be realistic.
“If we decided to go down that path, obviously her size is going to hinder her a bit, but we’ll just worry about Queensland and after Queensland, we’ll just map out a plan whether we go to Melbourne or somewhere else.”