Xtravagant set for return
Te Akau Racing-owned Xtravagant is set to make his reappearance at Moonee Valley on Saturday as he builds towards a possible Cox Plate run.
The dual Group I winner is nominated for the Chandler MacLeod Stakes (Listed, 1200m), how he gallops on Tuesday will confirm his spot.
Leading jockey Damien Oliver will partner the Pentire colt in a track gallop around Moonee Valley.
His Matamata trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richard are delighted with the condition of the 4-year-old but anticipate plenty of improvement from his first-up run ahead of a possible tilt at the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (Group 1, 1400m) at Caulfield on September 24.
‘‘We took him over nice and early and everything seems to be going along nicely,’’ Autridge said from Melbourne.
‘‘He’s looking the best he’s ever looked and is thriving. If we get the right mail from Oliver tomorrow morning we will be pretty happy.’’
‘‘I’m not saying he can win over 1200 – he will improve for his firstup run but this is a nice opportunity for him to settle behind the speed and get him spot on for the Sir Rupert Clarke in three weeks.’’
The Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 22 is under consideration for Xtravagant but his participation will hinge on whether the entire can stay beyond 1600m.
He will run in the Toorak Handicap (1600m) after the Rupert Clarke.
‘‘Then the Cox Plate is there, if 2040m around Moonee Valley looks like the thing, then we will be there otherwise a race like the Waterford Crystal Mile is an option.
‘‘We will take our time and make some plans when we see how much he finds with a bit more pressure on him.’’
Former Cambridge trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young scored their breakthrough win on Sunday since relocating to Cranbourne.
Old Farm Road who moved with them won a A$23,000 maiden at his new home track by five lengths. It was the 3-year-old Thewayyouare gelding’s seventh start, having placed in three of his six starts in New Zealand.
‘‘We can pick some nice races for him now and see how far he can go,’’ Busuttin said.
Their stable star Tavago will be nominated for the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes this weekend after recovering from a dental issue, which saw him scratched from the Memsie Stakes.
The Australian Derby winner ran second to stablemate Natural Achiever in a Cranbourne trial on Monday pleasing his trainers.
However, there’s a good chance they will preserve him for the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) the following week for his campaign debut.
‘‘It wasn’t ideal to miss the Memsie but he can overcome that,’’ Busuttin said as he sets the son of Tavistock for his main mission the Caulfield Cup.
‘‘There’s three million reasons to keep that race in mind.’’
The horse that beat Tavago on Monday, Natural Achiever, will be set for a midweek city race in the short-term. The 4-year-old Savabeel gelding had two New Zealand runs winning impressively both times.