A tough first-up run has forced a likely change in plans for the Australian Cup favourite with Tosen Stardom now likely to bypass the Group One feature.
Tosen Stardom is the current $5.50 favourite for the Group One Australian Cup (2000m) with Sportsbet.
Trainer Darren Weir said on Friday morning that the Japanese galloper was unlikely to head to the Australian Cup after a ‘gutbuster’ run in the C F Orr Stakes (1400m).
“He’s alright now but it’s obviously not the ideal way to start a preparation,” Weir told RSN’s Racing Pulse program.
“He’ll be fine but we’ll just poke around with him and probably change plans a bit now and maybe go to the Blamey (Stakes) to give him some time to get over the run and then head up to Sydney for the Carnival.
“It (the Australian Cup) is unlikely, I’m not set in concrete with that but knowing how horses need to have the first-up run to get to their goal, it wasn’t the ideal run so I’d say it will be hard to get to the Australian Cup in the right order.”
“It’s unlikely. It will be hard to get to the Australian Cup in the right order.”
Humidor, who sits on the 5th line of betting at $15, is also likely to bypass the Australian Cup according to Weir.
“He’s (Humidor) just a fortnight behind the rest of them,” Weir said.
“He’ll run next Saturday in the Futurity, go into the Blamey and then head up to Sydney.”
The Australian Cup will be run on March 10 at Flemington racecourse.