Xtravagant all clear for weekend
After having to be stood down from his intended Melbourne campaign opener last week, Matamata Horse of the Year Xtravagant is all set to step put this Saturday.
Last season’s champion threeyear-old stayed in his box last Saturday due to a temperature spike that interrupted his training schedule leading up to the Moonee Valley meeting.
Co-trainer Stephen Autridge has since given the all-clear to line up this weekend.
it promises to hopefully be the first step to a start in the Cox Plate in late October.
Stephen reported from Melbourne on Monday that all is well again and the Pentire colt will run in the Gr. 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality down the Flemington straight 1200 metres this weekend.
‘‘That’s provided he goes okay in his main hit out tomorrow morning, but everything seems fine with him,’’ he said.
‘‘It wasn’t a biggie last week and if we hadn’t been doing temperatures and bloods we mightn’t even have picked it up.
‘‘But as it was we were able to treat it properly and he’s been good ever since.
‘‘It was a relief that Damien (Oliver) was able to stick with the ship and looking at the way they were racing at the Valley, I didn’t really mind that he wasn’t there.
‘‘Unless you were a swooper you were no hope.
‘‘So I’m looking forward to seeing him down the straight-six on Saturday.’’
While nothing is set in stone beyond the weekend, the next race pencilled in for Xtravagant is the Gr. 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes over 1400 metres at Caulfield on September 24.