Trainer John Sadler isn’t shouting it from the rooftops but he harbours the hope promising three-year-old Motorised can make it to the Group One Australian Guineas in March.
“I have got a race picked out for him but I am too embarrassed to mention it,” Sadler said.
Motorised has always impressed Sadler but so far the son of Flying Spur has been slow to realise the potential.
A last start win at Terang was designed to give him an easy kill and confidence boost which will be put to the test at Sandown on Saturday when he tackles the Hilton Manufacturing Handicap (1400m).
“He is a horse we have always had a big opinion of but he has not yet delivered on the promise,” Sadler said.
“I think he is a very good horse and we have just taken our time with him.”
Sadler believes Motorised might stay although being closely related on his dam’s side to three-time Group One-winning speedster Snippets suggests otherwise.
“He is not bred to get a journey but he looks and races like he will so he will get his chance,” Sadler said.
Motorised has only raced five times, and was competitive in the city at his first three starts as a late two-year-old and early three year-old, most notably finishing second the talented Pied A Terre over 1400 metres at Flemington on July 23.
Sadler said he was disappointed Motorised didn’t win his third race start at Flemington on August 6 when sixth to That’s The One and immediately gave him spring spell.
A luckless sixth at Flemington first-up on December 10 forced the decision to find something easier and, while he won at Terang, Sadler was again a touch disappointed he didn’t dominate.
“We took him to Terang just to give him a kill but he didn’t win like a good horse,” Sadler said.
“He only just won (by three-quarters of a length) but the second, third and fourth horses have all come out and won since.”
The form statistic gives Sadler heart Motorised can graduate with a city win at Sandown and give some justification to an Australian Guineas program.
Sadler’s son and apprentice Tom drags three kilos off Motorised’s back and with 54kg the colt is 1.5kg under the minimum.
“I would be surprised if he doesn’t run well on Saturday,” Sadler said.
Tom Sadler has ridden 26 winners in his first season and is looking for his first Melbourne metropolitan success.
He will also ride Bondarchuk for his father in the Sportingbet Handicap (1200m) and the Robert Smerdon-trained Side Splitter in the Dandenong Cup (1400m).
AAP TURF
