The Danny O’Brien stable has welcomed the storms in Melbourne over the past few days and are hopeful of them continuing ahead Saturday’s meeting at The Valley.
In-form mare Stay Gold is one of the O’Brien runners that relishes a wet track and she will be aiming for a third straight win when she lines up in the Ascend Sale Trophies Handicap (1600m).
The Valley surface was rated a Soft 5 on Friday after being upgraded through the meeting last Saturday to eventually race as a Firm 2.
Stay Gold scored at The Valley on December 3 before running fifth to Excelida at Caulfield and then going on to successive wins at Flemington on New Year’s Day and again two weeks later.
The five-year-old, a younger sister to former stablemate Iconoclasm, has made a steady progression through the grades this campaign and takes on open company on Saturday.
“She goes up in class, but drops in weight,” O’Briens assistant-trainer Ben Gleeson said.
“She’s really found her niche and we were sceptical whether she would run out a strong mile as her brother Iconoclasm didn’t quite get it, but she certainly showed the other day she is as tough as nails.
“If the rain comes, it won’t hurt her.
“While she’s gone up in grade, it’s a race full of horses that have mixed form and with the lightweight she should be hard to beat.
“If she can produce like she has at her past two starts, I would hope she will be hard to get past.”
Gleeson is also hoping the rain arrives to soften the track further for Order Of Command who runs first-up in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m).
Having his first run since September, Gleeson said Order Of Command was as good as ever.
“We’re doing a rain dance and if the track can get to a Soft 6, or worse, it brings him right into contention,” Gleeson said.
