An old favourite and an up-and-coming young stayer promise to be the cornerstone of Con Karakatsanis’ Queensland winter carnival team.
Karakatsanis has rising nine-year-old Black Piranha chasing a third Group One Stradbroke Handicap win while Reigning will take his first steps towards the Queensland Derby when he resumes at Randwick on Wednesday.
Black Piranha, the 2009 and 2010 Stradbroke winner, had his first public hit-out in a Warwick Farm barrier trial on Tuesday since returning to Karakatsanis’ stable.
The veteran left Karakatsanis last year to be trained by Anthony Freedman after well-known owner Sean Buckley bought the sprinter at auction.
His time with Freedman was short-lived and Buckley, who raced King’s Stand Stakes winner Miss Andretti, approached Karakatsanis to take Black Piranha for a second time.
“I’m hoping to get him to Brisbane but I’m taking it step by step to keep his legs sound because he’s no spring chicken,” Karakatsanis said.
Reigning, meanwhile, resumes in the El Alamein Handicap (1300m) with Karakatsanis confident the colt will have a major say in the outcome of the Queensland Derby.
With that in mind, he would like to see Reigning brush home strongly in Wednesday’s restricted sprint.
“You are not going to see anything special from him until he gets to 2000 metres and further but he’ll have a good hit-out at Randwick,” Karakatsanis said.
Reigning is by famed sprinter Choisir but Karakatsanis said speed was not part of the three-year-old’s weaponry.
“He’s got one thing in his favour and that is he’ll stay all day,” Karakatsanis said.
“The horse is on the way up and he’s only going to keep improving so you’ve got to have a crack (at the Derby).
“In those type of races I don’t think the best horse wins.
“It’s the ones who have that little bit of ability who can stay all day.”
Formerly trained by Allan Denham, Reigning won three of his last four starts in his first campaign for Karakatsanis, culminating in his Bathurst Cup (2000m) victory.
Karakatsanis is also hoping to add sprinters My Destiny and Riva De Lago to his Queensland team.
