Blahnik begins with Oliver aboard
Sunday, 13 August 2006:  | | Blahnik returns to scale after the Yallambee Classic |
The four-year-old, prepared by former rider Jon O’Connor at Morphettville, is a winner of three of his seven starts, including a last start win of the Group 3 Adelaide Guineas (1600m) at Morphettville in May.
Third placegetter in that race, Marju Snip, franked the form with a subsequent Group 1 win of the Schweppes Stakes at her next start.
O’Connor will give the gelding a low-key return in an open class 1200m race this Saturday but dreams of a Toorak Handicap start later this spring.
“You’ve got to have some sort of goal but really this campaign is learning more about him,” O’Connor said.
“I get the feeling he’ll run 2000m and his pedigree, being by Jeune, suggests he will. But he has a really good turn of foot and he might be better on the fresh side in races where the pace is right on.
“He’ll kick off on Saturday in an open class sprint and Damien Oliver will be aboard. Then we’ll see how he pulls up and decided what to do next.”
O’Connor has the four-year-old stabled with Mick Kent at Cranbourne where he trialled last Friday over 1000m in slow ground against just three other runners.
He won the trial but it wasn’t the hit-out O’Connor has hoped for.
“I wanted a bit more competition but it was more of a gallop,” O’Connor said. “He’s pretty forward though and I expect him to run well on Saturday.
“Like most of the new four-year-olds he has to take the next step now but he’s come back well and I think his best is yet to come.”
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