Trainer Peter Moody will not be pushing promising sprinter Oxley Road too hard this spring believing the lightly-raced galloper still has some maturing to do.
Oxley Road has only raced three times and jumped straight from winning a maiden on debut down the straight at Flemington to claim the Group 3 Zeditave Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield at his second start.
The rising four-year-old, the younger brother to Group 1 winning sprinter Exceedance , then finished fourth in the Listed Incognitus Stakes (1100m) at Flemington in March.
Moody said Oxley Road had returned to his Pakenham stable and was likely to have a light spring with the aim of having him primed for the autumn.
The Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on July 10 and the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) two weeks later will likely come around too early for Oxley Road.
“He’s back in the stables and will probably be ready to run in early August,” Moody said.
“There won’t be anything targeted in the spring as he still looks a little bit immature.
“I think he’s going to be more an autumn horse which is probably better suited for a sprinter anyhow.
“I’m thinking a few runs in the early part of the spring.
“Let him furnish up, get a little more streetwise, get him on that spring grass and I think that will see him really explode, fill out and hopefully he develops into an autumn spring horse.”
Moody said he would like to build Oxley Road’s rating and profile during a brief spring campaign to be assured of gaining a run in the bigger autumn sprint races.
Victory in a big autumn sprint could see Oxley Road a sought-after stallion prospect.
“He’s got that type of pedigree to be a stallion,” Moody said.
