Tulloch Lodge will test the autumn carnival credentials of lightly raced colt Master Ash when he resumes in an intriguing renewal of the Eskimo Prince Stakes at Warwick Farm.
The three-year-old progressed rapidly through the grades at his initial campaign to claim the Group Three Up And Coming Stakes at just his fourth start.
Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are confident Master Ash can continue his rise, an opinion that will be tested in Saturday’s Group Three race in which his rivals includes undefeated colt Brutal and the promising Gem Song.
“He’s a colt that’s got a lot of upside, a lot of progression,” Bott said.
“I think he’ll get over a bit further, certainly up to the mile, so timing-wise we’d like to see him contesting those three-year-old races and potentially towards the Guineas races.
“It’s obviously an important race for him Saturday and I think he can measure up.”
Tim Clark will ride Master Ash while Tommy Berry has the mount on the Hawkes Racing-trained Brutal, who makes his Sydney debut and is an even-money chance to take his record to four wins from as many starts.
Waterhouse and Bott will also have a strong hand in the two-year-old races at Warwick Farm where they saddle up Dawn Passage and Espaanyiah in the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1200m), while Escaped will have his first start in the Darley Lonhro Plate (1100m).
Escaped won his most recent trial but faces a steep task against the likes of undefeated youngster Time To Reign.
“I like what I’ve seen from him in his trials. He’s a very precocious type and there’s plenty of upside there,” Bott said.
“We’ve thrown him in the deep end a bit here and we’re really testing him out against some more experienced opposition and some classy individuals, but it will give us a real guide as to where he stands in terms of the top class two-year-olds in Sydney.”
