Top targets for Chocante
Accomplished stayer Chocante will be given opportunities to star at weight-for-age during a twostart summer campaign.
The son of Shocking has returned after his travels to the Cambridge stable of trainer Stephen Marsh, who has set Group One targets at different ends of the North Island for the five-year-old.
Chocante will open his summer campaign in the Rydges Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on December 9 ahead of the Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
‘‘If he wins or goes very well in the Zabeel, which is his main goal, then we might take him back to Sydney in the autumn,’’ Marsh said.
The winner of last season’s Gr.2 Brisbane Cup (2200m) and the Gr.3 Counties Cup (2100m) raced creditably during his first campaign in Sydney.
Chocante resumed with a placing behind the champion mare Winx in the Gr.2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) before he finished out of the money in the Gr.3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).
The gelding bounced back to finish third in the Gr.1 Metropolitan (2400m) and was then seventh in the St Leger Stakes (2600m) before heading for a break.
‘‘He had 10 days in a nice paddock over there before coming home,’’ Marsh said.
‘‘He won’t take too much work to get ready, he’s still got that residual fitness after racing over 2600m.’’