Eleven Eleven treks in shadow of Everest
SYDNEY trainer Greg Hickman is set to launch a surgical strike on Friday night’s Group 1 Manikato Stakes at The Valley in Melbourne.
Hickman will start Eleven Eleven’s campaign towards winning at the Magic Millions race day in Queensland for the fourth straight year in Friday night’s $2m contest.
Hickman earmarked the Manikato Stakes (1200m) as the perfect first-up assignment for Eleven Eleven because of its proximity to The Everest.
“We didn’t have a lot to go to and we thought Sydney was a bit too strong,” Hickman said.
“Even though it’s a Group 1,
it’s probably not as strong as some of those Sydney races lately.
“We don’t often get a chance to have a crack at a Group 1 race so I thought it was a good race to start him off.
“Our 110 per cent target of where we have to get to is the
Gold Coast (Magic Millions meeting in January).
“It’s a million-dollar race for restricted class horses so that’s the way to go.
“If we pick something up along the way then, that’s even better.”
Eleven Eleven has had three cracks at Group 1 level in his 30-start career.
The son of Fastnet Rock ran third in the Kingsford Smith Cup in Brisbane in May before struggling at his last outing in the Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm.
Hickman said he remained keen to test Eleven Eleven at Group 1 level because the now six-year-old had continued to improve as he matured.
“He’s got better as he has got older and he just seems to handle a lot of things a lot easier,” Hickman said.
“As a two-year-old, I don’t think we would have got him to the track and he wouldn’t have got around the track.
“He just keeps on stepping up every time I ask him and that’s a good thing.”
Jockey Damian Lane steered Eleven Eleven when the sprinter had a look at The Valley at Tuesday’s Breakfast With The Best session.
Hickman said Eleven Eleven had no trouble in his first encounter with the tight track.
Eleven Eleven is a $15 chance in early Manikato Stakes betting with Godolphin sprinter Paulele the favourite at $3.50.