Emma-Lee and David Browne had lofty ambitions of a start in the Caulfield Cup with Statuario after he showed staying promise in the second half of his three-year-old season.
With a program set to try and achieve that goal, Statuario ran a couple of slashing races to give himself that chance, but poor barriers dented those dreams.
Once the Browne’s realised their Caulfield Cup dreams were done, they instead switched their attention to lesser company.
One of those races is the Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m) on Saturday with the potential to head to the Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m) on December 6.
Statuario chased the Caulfield Cup dream for connections in the Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield in September, finishing fourth to dual Cups winner Half Yours.
Victory gave Half Yours a ballot exemption into the Caulfield Cup, and the rest is history.
The Browne’s elected to take Statuario to the Coongy Cup (2000m) on October 15, finishing fifth, before freshening the gelding for a tilt at Cranbourne and potentially Ballarat.
Statuario had a warm-up run in the greys race at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week, finishing a closing second.
“It was a little short for him, but he finished it off really strongly,” Emma-Lee said.
“This is a nice progression for him for his next start.
“We took him to Cranbourne during the week as he does get quite above himself and we’ve found in the past taking him to those gallops always finishes him off quite nicely for the race ahead.
“He does very well in the paddock, so we’re looking at this race on Saturday and then maybe the Ballarat Cup and then another little break.”
The Cranbourne Cup has come up a strong contest which does not deter the Browne’s.
“He didn’t have much luck earlier in the spring when we were getting wide draws, but he still ran pretty well,” Emma-Lee said.
Stablemate Pondalowie is first emergency in Saturday’s race and needs a scratching to sneak into the field, although there is the back-up plan of the $200,000 Kilmore Cup (1600m) on Sunday.
Pondalowie has been racing in Stakes company in recent outings and was a last start sixth behind Rumbled Again at Caulfield last Saturday.
“She’s going super but has had no luck,” Emma-Lee said.
“She’s probably the happiest, and as well as we have seen her, she just needs a break her way.”
