Two years to the day since Puissance De Lune scored a feature-race win in Melbourne, little brother His Majesty will begin a mission of his own at Rosehill.
Trained by Kim Waugh, His Majesty will tackle the Clubs NSW Hcp (1350m), his first test in Saturday metropolitan grade.
On the corresponding race day in 2013, Puissance De Lune won the PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield, cementing his favouritism for that year’s Melbourne Cup.
His Majesty won’t carry such lofty expectations at Rosehill on Saturday but as a $5 equal favourite he will come under scrutiny.
The lightly raced six-year-old will tackle Saturday’s race second-up following a fast-finishing win over 1200m at Gosford last month, a performance that convinced Waugh to set the bar higher.
“It was only a class one but it was the way he did it. He sprinted really well at the end,” Waugh said.
Like most European imports, His Majesty has taken time to acclimatise.
Waugh has noticed a turnaround in his attitude in the past six months and hopes he can eventually stretch out to more than just a sprint trip.
“We’re trying to step him up slowly and see how he copes. He is still learning to settle and switch off in his races,” she said.
“When he first arrived he was a bit cheeky, a bit naughty. But each preparation he has matured a bit more.”
His Majesty will be one of three Rosehill runners for Waugh along with Dylan’s Rojo in the Dooleys Handicap and Oxford Heart in the St Johns Park Bowling Club Handicap.
