Black Caviar is set to play a starring role at Randwick on Saturday and All Too Hard’s jockey Dwayne Dunn is confident the mare’s half-brother is heading the right way to follow suit in a fortnight.
All Too Hard rounded out the Melbourne part of his preparations for the Group One All Aged Stakes with a second jump-out win in as many weeks at Flemington on Friday morning.
All Too Hard winning the Sportingbet C.F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia (Steven Dowden)
The multiple Group One-winning colt heads to Sydney at the weekend and will be entered to trial at Randwick next Friday in preparation for his only Sydney autumn appearance in the $400,00 All Aged Stakes on April 27.
“His trial was very good, he’s just ticking over how we want him at the moment,” Dunn said.
All Too Hard missed the Australian Guineas at the start of last month because of a cold and the Hawkes training partnership decided to freshen him and aim at the All Aged.
Dunn believes the lay-off could work in All Too Hard’s favour because one of his target races, the George Ryder Stakes, was run on a wet track last week.
“He’ll be the fresh horse on the scene at the end of the carnival,” he said.
The All Aged is likely to attract a classy field including More Joyous but Dunn is looking forward to it.
“I’ll be pretty confident with him,” he said.
“I don’t think that way of going is an issue. He’s a happier horse now.”