Consistent galloper Agrippa might do less work on the training track than most but that is just the way he likes it.
The five-year-old is in career-best form and pressing for favouritism in Saturday’s Summer Championship Final (1600m) at Sandown on the back of wins at his past two starts.
Amazingly, he has done it with minimal training.
Owned by Jonathan Munz, Agrippa joined John Sadler’s stable last spring and it was by accident Sadler discovered a quirk with the horse.
Sadler recalled how Agrippa was still a few weeks off racing when he put him in a barrier trial to hasten his progress and was amazed with how well he went.
“I threw him in the trial as he wasn’t quite ready but he trialled enormously and I couldn’t get to the calendar quickly enough to pick a race out for him,” Sadler said.
“I found one for him at Moonee Valley but he needed another trial the next week to be ready for that.
“He went as badly (in the second trial) as he went good in the trial the week before.
“I thought then he either was not genuine or he needed to be kept terribly fresh.”
Sadler took the punt it was the latter and in four runs for him Agrippa has posted two wins and a second.
“I basically stopped working him,” Sadler said.
On the track, Agrippa does almost nothing and over the last three weeks Sadler has restricted him to two 1000-metre gallops, working home the last 400m no faster than 25.5 seconds.
“If there is a key to him that is it,” Sadler said.
“He’s going super and getting up in the weights but I reckon he will give it a shake on Saturday.”
Agrippa’s rating has soared from 75 to 85 this campaign with a narrow win over At The Heads at Flemington on December 10 followed by a three-quarter length win from Seguro at Caulfield on January 7.
Giresun, who won twice at Caulfield in December before a last start fourth to dual heat series winner Over Quota, is TAB Sportsbet’s $4 favourite for Saturday’s feature, just ahead of Agrippa at $4.20.
Over Quota is $11 and the top qualifier in the final after Wealthy Lad did not accept.
AAP TURF
