Two of Pat Carey’s promising three-year-olds will be on trial for a South Australian Derby start when they run at Caulfield.
All I Survey and Spur On Gold’s performances in the Terminus Hotel Healesville Plate (2000m) on Saturday will determine whether they run in the Group One South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville a week later.
Carey said All I Survey was over a slight heel issue that forced him to miss the VRC St Leger at Flemington on Anzac Day.
“It was a minor heel abscess that just rose its head at the wrong time,” Carey said.
“He’s hopefully over that and will take his place on Saturday.
All I Survey won a Terang maiden before finishing third to fellow Derby contender Manapine in the Galilee Series Final (2500m) at Flemington on April 11.
Spur On Gold will be lining up for his third start this campaign.
Carey was surprised with the gelding’s first-up 1200m Mornington victory before his unlucky second to Ungrateful Ellen at Bendigo on April 16. He is heartened by fellow trainer Robert Smerdon’s decision to take Ungrateful Ellen to Adelaide for the Group One Australasian Oaks (2000m) on Saturday.
“I thought he was good at Bendigo behind Ungrateful Ellen where he went down a head and with a touch of luck may have beaten her,” Carey said.
Carey will get a good look at Ungrateful Ellen in Adelaide when he saddles up fellow Oaks contender Choix de Maia.
The filly jumps from the second widest barrier in the Oaks but Carey is not too concerned.
“You have to start from somewhere,” he said.
“The fact that there’s 20 acceptors tells you there are plenty that want to run in it.”
Brisbane based Michael Cahill rides Spur On Gold at Caulfield on Saturday with the jockey in Melbourne primarily to partner Payroll in the Listed Thoroughbred Club Cup (1200m).
Cahill is testing the Richard Laming-trained Payroll for a possible trip to Brisbane for the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes on May 23 and the J J Atkins Stakes at Doomben on June 6.
Payroll has come in for heavy support in the Thoroughbred Club Cup firming from $5 to $3.40 and now shares the top line with last start Flemington winner Black Vanquish.
