"Glen Boss celebrates aboard Sir Dragonet.
March’s $5 million All-Star Mile may well be the race of the autumn with the mouth-watering prospect of Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet also running first-up alongside Russian Camelot.
Sir Dragonet took on an 800-metre jump-out at Caulfield on Tuesday morning as part of his autumn preparation and afterwards co-trainer Dave Eustace said that while there were a number of options still for the horse, the All-Star Mile on March 13 appealed as a solid kick-off point.
“We are happy to stay relatively fluid at this stage and will be guided by a second trial to see whether he has the speed in his legs to actually kick off over 1400m or whether it’s the All-Star Mile,” Eustace said.
“It’s probably leaning towards the All-Star Mile at the moment but the weather will play a big part.”
Sir Dragonet is a $13 chance with Sportsbet for the All-Star Mile.
In his first public outing for 2021, Sir Dragonet impressed under Melbourne Cup winning rider Jye McNeil in the jump-out with Eustace noting the horse’s positive attitude and willingness to work.
“In all his three bits of work prior, he has been very bright and keen to get on with things and not in a bad way and in very much a good way,” Eustace explained.
“Every time a jockey wants to put him up he really wants to get on with it and go a bit further in his work and he showed that again with Jye this morning as Jye has a bit of a job to pull him up.
“He looks great. His coat has come through. He looked a bit woolly after the spring but he looks a completely different horse now.
“He’s certainly showing all the right signs of really enjoying a change of scenery predominantly down at the beach which is obviously a new things for him and it seems to have really reinvigorated him.
“He’s a brighter, more enthused, even happier horse we feel this time around than when we got him.”
As for the 800 metre jump-out, Eustace said the import was tested for speed.
“They are half-mile (800m) jump-outs at Caulfield down the side there so they are pretty sharp pieces of work and he had some genuine group-class sprinters in the trial but we were jus very happy with the way he tacked onto the back of them and was strong to the line.”
Also, in the first jumpout was stablemate Southern France, who has raced just three times since winning the 2019 Sandown Classic.
“He trialled really nicely,” Eustace said. “He’s obviously been a long time off the track but he trialed nicely and looks fantastic.
“He’s a gelding now and he’s got a more athletic and slightly lighter-framed horse. He’s got a beautiful action on him and there are some nice races for him this time around like the Australian Cup, Tancred, Ranvet and Queen Elizabeth.”
The stable’s fastest horse Anders also stepped out on the second jump-out and showed he has lost none of the zip he showed last season before an untimely spring setback.
“It was really pleasing to see him return so well after an up-and-down spring,” Eustace said.
“He’s matured nicely from his break. He showed his usually zest for it and jumped and ran along a couple of lengths in front as he normal is and he was just held onto as it was his first jump-out but he seems in really good heart.”
He said the Group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington next month would be considered. “Possibly, but we do think a bend suits him a little bit better but we’ve a very open mind as to whether he stays down here or goes to Sydney as he showed in the winter he likes those wet tracks up there.”
As for Caulfield Guineas placegetter Grandslam: “He’s matured very nicely and he trialed OK.
“Visually. it wasn’t overly impressive but that is not something we worry about too much as he’s not a half-mile trial sort of horse.
“He had a nice blow so he’ll probably trial again before he goes back to the races in the Autumn Stakes or the C S Hayes at Flemington prior to the Australian Guineas.”
Eustace said Rubick three-year-old Jet Propulsion also showed he was ready to step-up this preparation.
“He’s a promising horse,” he said. “He trialed very well and was very strong through the line.
“I think we’ll see the best of him this prep. He’ll run over 1400m probably in the C S Hayes. He’s a horse that will probably relish 2000 metres as well so there’s an awful lot to come from him.”