Co-trainer Paul Jones is banking on the addition of blinkers giving Onthelookout a rev-up when he resumes at Canterbury on Christmas Eve.
“The blinkers will be back on to charge him up for the 1100 metres,” Jones said.
Onthelookout wore blinkers earlier in his career but once he learned to settle Jones and his training partner, his mother Barbara Joseph, took them off.
Given the 1100 metres of Saturday’s Vinery Stud Handicap is short of Onthelookout’s best distance, Jones and Joseph have opted for the gear change to compensate.
“A 1200-metre race would have been ideal but 1100 is all we could find,” Jones said.
“I think there should be a bit of genuine pace from the middle and inside gates and a genuine speed will suit him.”
Onthelookout has good credentials for Saturday’s race.
He has been placed twice at Listed level in the past 12 months, finishing third in the National Sprint at Canberra in March and the Civic Stakes at Rosehill in July.
His first-up record is sound with a win and placing from six fresh runs, although Jones believes it should read better.
“He should have nearly won first-up last preparation,” Jones said.
“He never got a crack at them and when he did get out his run had finished but he still came fourth in a good form race.”
Hugh Bowman, in stellar form last weekend with a treble at Canterbury on Friday night and four winners at Warwick Farm on Saturday, will be in the saddle.
The sprint has attracted a handy field headed by Tiger Tees whose five-race winning streak narrowly came to an end last start when he went down by a half-head to Group One winner Atomic Force at Canterbury.
Star Of Octagonal, the 2010 Group Three South Pacific Classic winner, and 2008 Rosehill Guineas winner Dealer Principal will both be striving to break long droughts from the winner’s circle.
The Jones-Joseph partnership will also saddle up Fill The Page in the De Bortoli Wines Handicap (1900m).
The lightly-raced mare followed a dominant win at Queanbeyan with consecutive placings in town, the latest a second to Titbit over 1500m at Rosehill.
Saturday will be her first test over ground but Jones’ confidence has been dented by a wide draw in barrier 10 of 11.
“She is not the easiest horse to ride in terms of settling,” Jones said.
“We wanted an inside gate and we didn’t get one so it’s in the lap of (jockey) Tommy Berry.”
AAP TURF
