O'BRIEN FACES ANXIOUS WAIT
Trainer Danny O’Brien faces an anxious wait with El Patroness stranded first emergency in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
The Melbourne Cup-winning trainer on Thursday withdrew talented import Carini, also first emergency, from Group 3 The Bart Cummings, with a view to get into the Herbert Power Stakes next Saturday at Caulfield.
O’Brien, who won the Herbert Power last year with Saracen Knight, will also have 2019 Cup winner Vow And Declare in the 2400m race on Saturday week.
The Herbert Power winner is assured a start in the Caulfield Cup, should they be nominated.
Carini and El Patroness must either win their way into the Caulfield Cup or place in a Group 1 qualifying race beyond 1600m to satisfy first ballot clause conditions.
Group 1 winner El Patroness, an $18 chance in a stacked Turnbull field, charged into third first-up at Flemington behind Amelia’s Jewel in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes.
“She was terrific first-up, 2000m at Flemington is a good set up for her,” O’Brien said.
“She was good in the Australian Cup earlier in the year without any luck … I think she can run well in what is a very deep race.”
Cox Plate-bound Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior is a dominant $2.20 favourite with TAB for the Turnbull Stakes from Osipenko ($6.50), West Wind Blows ($8) and Soulcombe ($8).
O’Brien has not ruled out a tilt at the Caulfield Cup third-up for El Patroness, should the five-year-old get into the Turnbull field and run well as expected.
“The Turnbull usually defines whether or not you should be running in the Caulfield Cup,” O’Brien said.
“Most years it’s the best (Caulfield Cup) form race, if she puts her hand up and runs super in the Turnbull I’d certainly have no problem putting her into the Caulfield Cup.”
In-form O’Brien has two other runners on the Flemington undercard, with Young Werther in Sydney on Saturday to contest the Group 2 Hill Stakes (1900m).
O’Brien has started the new season strongly with 21 winners from 101 starters since August 1.
“We’re off to a good start, the season is looking good,” O’Brien said.
“The boys are working really hard, all the venues are going well, the strike rate is good, it’s over 20 per cent, and whenever you’re doing that you know things are going well.”
The 23-time Group 1 winner operated at 10.7 per cent winners to runners last season.
“It wasn’t a great season for us to be fair, we brought on a new stable at Geelong about 18 months ago, it’s taken a while to get there, but it’s going really well now,” O’Brien said.
“We’ve got really good people in all the right roles and hopefully they can get some results at the top level.
“It’s good to be winning races but ultimately at the end of the spring you always want to try and have a couple nice wins in the bigger races.”
Story by Gilbert Gardner for Herald Sun
Pics by Racing Photos