Virginian shapes up well after Vic debut

GOLD Coast trainer Toby Edmonds predicts The Virginian will improve sharply from his first run in Melbourne and expects him to challenge at Flemington tomorrow.

Jockey Damien Oliver will ride the lightly raced The Virginian in the listed Paris Lane Handicap (1400m).

It comes two weeks after Oliver rode The Virginian to sixth in the Testa Rossa Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.

“He has done really well since his first-up run down there where he was caught on the wrong part of the track,” Edmonds said.

“It got to the inside and he drifted back closer to the fence and it was a bit like quick sand in there.

“His run wasn’t that bad and I expect him to improve pretty sharply at Flemington.

“He is certainly a good each-way chance.”

Edmonds said if The Virginian performed well he would consider putting the four-yearold gelding into races at the big Caulfield Cup or Melbourne Cup day meetings over the next month. The Virginian stunned at the Brisbane winter carnival when he finished third behind Under The Louvre and Black Hart Bart in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at just his fourth start.

He won a Gold Coast trial before making his Victorian debut on September 17.

Meanwhile, premier Adelaide trainer Phillip Stokes is adding numbers to his spring satellite stable in Melbourne.

Stokes will have up to five runners spread over two meetings in Melbourne this weekend.

Debut Morphettville win- ner Cappadocia runs at Caulfield today in the Blue Star Group Plate (1200m) while scratchings will determine whether Model Dragon gets a start in the dreamthorough breds.com.au Handicap.

Stokes has sent Cappadocia to Melbourne to test the waters after her Morphettville win on September 14 when she had to overcome more than her opposition.

“She got halfway down the straight and it looked like she ran in four horses, but it was the wind that blew her in,” Stokes said.

“The wind literally turned her sideways.” Stokes is hopeful Model Dragon sneaks into her race although he has a back-up plan in a race at Bendigo next week.

Unbeaten in two starts at Morphettville in May, Model Dragon was taken to Melbourne to escape Adelaide’s wet weather.

“I decided to throw her on the truck and get her over to Melbourne and see if we can find something to place her in, get her started off and see where she ends up,” Stokes said.

“I think she’s a mare that has some talent.”