Glen Thompson is confident Certain Rise has the talent to win Saturday’s Peter Le Grand Stakes at Caulfield, but he’s not convinced she has had the preparation to do it off the cards she has been dealt.
The daughter of Written Tycoon has been kept fresh for the $200,000 Group 3 over 1100 metres, which Thompson was comfortable with until she drew barrier 10.
That has become nine with the scratching of Tonkin and while still a slight concern for Thompson, he has taken solace from the fact that Melbourne’s leading jockey Blake Shinn is on board.
“We’ve just given her the one jumpout heading into Saturday, she’s pretty close to the mark, but there’s still got good improvement there going forward,” Thompson said.
“She’s drawn terribly, which makes it a little bit tricky first-up, but it is Caulfield (with) only one bend and we’ve got Blake on, so he’ll work it out.
“It would have been nice if we drew soft and could have got a lovely but it’s just a matter of what sort of work she’s got to do early as to whether she just blows out a little bit late.”
Certain Rise, who carries the Yulong colours, is looking to add to a career record of two wins from three starts with her only defeat a debut second placing at Cranbourne behind Lofty Arch.
She hasn’t started since her impressive win in the Listed Crockett Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day.
Certain Rise is one of two three-year-olds resuming from a spell that Thompson and co-trainer Mike Moroney will saddle at Caulfield with Plymouth to return in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes.
The son of The Autumn Sun has not started since finishing midfield in the Listed Batman Stakes, but impressed earlier in the campaign and Thompson has been encouraged by what he has seen from his two 800m jumpouts at Flemington in January.
“He’s a really nice horse, he seems to have come back well and he gets the blinkers on Saturday,” Thompson said.
“His jumpouts have been good, we’ve always had a lot of time for him, but just always expected a little bit more.
“He just lacked that killer punch last time, but he’s come back bigger and stronger and hopefully that makes a difference.”
Plymouth, like Certain Rise, will be ridden by Shinn and has drawn the inside alley in the field that is down to eight after the scratching of Goodlucktome.
