Grande Rosso has capped a memorable day for Lindsay Park with a consolation win at Caulfield.
The six-year-old’s victory in the 1400m Handicap completed a winning treble at Caulfield on Saturday, with earlier success for Vega Magic and Hell Or Highwater.
In addition to wins with Formality in the Furious Stakes at Randwick and Dane Hussler’s hurdle success at Morphettville in Adelaide.
Ridden by Craig Williams, Grande Rosso was the $4 favourite in landing a short-half-head win over Chocolate Holic ($6) with Turnitaround ($51) a half-length away third.
Senior Lindsay Park trainer David Hayes said the stable resisted the temptation of running Grande Rosso in Saturday’s feature, the Group One Memsie Stakes, won by stablemate Vega Magic.
“He’s been set for the Rupert Clarke and we resisted running in the Memsie which I think might have been a good move,” Hayes said.
“He’ll get in a race like the Rupert Clarke with a light weight at his third run for the prep and will be very hard to beat.”
The Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) will be run at Caulfield on October 1.
Grande Rosso’s victory was his fifth since joining the Lindsay Park stable after previously being prepared by Mark Riley and having one start for Wez Hunter.
Hayes said the secret to the gelding was not over working him.
“He loves to work singularly and we don’t work him in company as he tends to over work,” Hayes said.
