The Sarah Murray-Leslie-trained So Light backs up at Orange on Saturday attempting back-to-back wins over 2100m.
Murray-Leslie admits that just 12 months back, the five-year-old gelding couldn’t get 1600m.
“Last year he couldn’t run a mile (1600m), now I think he can get to 2400 metres,” she said.
“Get out and get running. That’s proven his forte.”
So Light, with two-kilogram claimer David Pisani in the saddle, tackles the National Australia Bank – Orange Benchmark 59 Hcp.
Last Saturday at Orange, So Light scored an all-the-way 6-1/2-length demolition of his rivals in a 2100m Benchmark 60 event.
It was the first leg of a winning double for the in-form Murray-Leslie stable with Sticky Danish winning the final event.
Murray-Leslie and her partner Alan Goulder secured So Light, a son of Way Of Light, as a two-year-old on lease from Anne and Peter Andrews of Tarwyn Park, Bylong in the NSW Hunter Valley, the former stallion residence of dual Melbourne Cup winner Rain Lover.
The gelding has returned five wins and 11 placings from 37 starts.
“He was very quirky early,” Murray-Leslie said.
“He was a massively hard goer on the track.
“Fortunately with time, we’ve managed to sort a few things out.
“It’s only been this preparation where I’ve been able to get him over a bit of ground.
“It was in the Bong Bong Cup (November 9 over 1560m) of all places when we decided to keep stepping him up in distance.
“He got home hard under a big weight.
“Since then he’s put together good runs at Wellington, Parkes, Bathurst and last start at Orange.
“He’s been up for a while, had a lot of starts, but he’s going great.
“Having good trackwork riders and keeping the horse calm we’ve found is the key to him.”
Backing up within a week remains a question mark for So Light.
“He goes up three kilos and it’s a matter of the real So Light turning up,” Murray-Leslie said.
“He’s had an easy week, just trot and cantering, but he’s on his tucker and bucking around.”
AAP TURF
