Tatura hosts Lindsay Park spring hopefuls

Lindsay Park will take a number of their spring hopefuls to the country track of Tatura for an important set of trials.

Caulfield and Melbourne Cups contenders Ventura Storm and Harlem will trial over 1400m on Tuesday while sprinters and middle distance gallopers Redkirk Warrior, Sheidel, Dibiyani and Red Bomber all run over 1000m.

Co-trainer Tom Dabernig said taking the team to Tatura, approximately 180km north-east on Melbourne, was to give them a bit of atmosphere away from Lindsay Park.

“Ventura Storm trialled well at Cranbourne but Harlem wasn’t that happy in the ground,” Dabernig said.

“But I think he’s in good shape.”

Dabernig says the trials fit in nicely with the pair expected to resume in the Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield on September 2.

He said Ventura Storm may drop in distance to contest the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) on September 16 while Harlem is likely to head to the Naturalism Stakes (2000m) on September 23.

“They’re both on a Cups campaign and they’re both coming along well,” he said.

Newmarket Handicap winner Redkirk Warrior is being prepared for a first-up tilt at the Bobbie Lewis Stakes at Flemington ahead of a shot at The Everest at Randwick on October 14.

Dabernig said Redkirk Warrior could have raced at Caulfield on Saturday but the stable wants to keep him fresh.

“He was so good first-up in the Newmarket,” Dabernig said.

“We want to give him a run but also go in fresh to The Everest.”

Sheidel is being aimed first-up at The Heath on September 2 while Dibiyani could resume in the Bobbie Lewis before going to Sydney.

“We were thinking of Sydney because he races well that way and because he hangs the Melbourne way,” Dabernig said.

“We thought we’d trial him at Tatura to see him because we gave him a little jump-out at home and he railed around the Melbourne way perfectly.”

The stable had considered retirement for Dibiyani after he ran 17th in the Doncaster Mile at Randwick in April.

“But because he’s a gelding and he’s sound we thought we’d give him another try,” Dabernig said.