Multiple stakes-placed Grand Britannia gets his chance to add an elusive feature race victory to his record in the Listed Creswick Stakes at Flemington.
The talented grey has had two confidence-building runs this campaign which trainer Robbie Laing hopes will be enough to get him over the line in Saturday’s 1200-metre sprint.
Grand Britannia looked an exciting prospect last spring after a promising two-year-old season but his campaign was derailed through farrier error.
Laing said the incident not only affected the horse physically but also mentally.
“He had heaps of feet trouble in the spring all because of one bad shoeing,” Laing lamented.
“He was crook for a week and we then thought we had him right but he just didn’t have the confidence to go.”
Eight of Grand Britannia’s 13 starts have been at stakes level and he has been placed three times.
As a two-year-old he ran second to Sepoy in the colts and geldings Blue Diamond Preview and third to Running Tall in the Group Two Sires’ Produce Stakes at Flemington after unsuccessfully contesting the Blue Diamond Stakes.
His spring campaign got off to a good start when third to Sepoy and Golden Archer in the Listed Vain Stakes at Caulfield in August but he soon lost form.
“He is going all right now and he should run well on Saturday,” Laing said.
Two weeks ago Grand Britannia produced a solid trial for the Creswick when a second-up third to Zamorar and Platelet in the Seppelt Wines Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield.
He was beaten three lengths but Laing said he should have been closer.
“I reckon if he didn’t peel out off the fence he may have still run third but would have finished only 1-1/2 lengths behind Zamorar,” Laing said.
Grand Britannia hasn’t won since his race debut in November 2010 and is at $21 with TAB Sportsbet to break the drought.
Unbeaten filly Lady Melksham ($1.85) and Zamorar ($3.50) dominate the market and are the only horses in the 11-horse field under double-figure odds.