Most of the excuses trainer Tony Vasil had made on behalf of the enigmatic galloper Under The Eiffel were justified by the gelding’s breakthrough stakes win in the George Adams Stakes at Launceston last month.
Vasil is hoping the rest of them can be put to rest at Caulfield on Saturday.
Until he scored at Launceston Under The Eiffel had been without a victory since Melbourne Cup day 2011, thanks in part to bad luck, questionable rides and “all the uncertainties of racing”.
“He’s honest but he has been subjected to some very unlucky performances when barriers didn’t suit and some rides that didn’t suit,” Vasil said.
“You get sick of making excuses, but they were genuine ones.”
Under The Eiffel has had almost four weeks to get over his return to form and will go around as one of the favourites in the Sky High Mt Dandenong Handicap (1400m).
As well as adjusting a record littered with unkept promises at his last start, Under The Eiffel demonstrated a previously unseen versatility by leading throughout.
When he first drew attention to himself as a three-year-old, Under The Eiffel had a reputation as an out-and-out swooper having come from near last to win successive races and again came from near the tail when fifth in the Australian Guineas behind Shamrocker.
“We’d never led on him before so it’s a new dimension that you have to think will come in handy,” Vasil said.
As would a wet track at Caulfield.
Until the Launceston win Under The Eiffel’s only wet track appearance had been average.
“He’d run reasonably on soft tracks a couple of times, but never as well as he did the other day,” Vasil said.
“But he’s by Mossman and they all handle it so it would be good to see some rain.”
Under The Eiffel is competing for favouritism with British General who had won three on end before handy runs at his past three races, all in stakes company in Melbourne.
