It isn’t the path Tulloch Lodge planned to take to the VRC St Leger with Format, but Adrian Bott sees positives in the one he and training partner Gai Waterhouse have been forced to plot.
The three-year-old colt heads into Friday’s $200,000 Listed event at Flemington almost four weeks between runs, having not been to the races since failing to beat a runner home in the Tulloch Stakes on April 1.
Bott and Waterhouse hoped that 2000m Group 2 would be a lead-up to the Group 1 ATC Australian Derby (2400m) four days later, but he missed a run in that race as third emergency, which means he has freshness in his legs for a race that has always been an autumn option.
“He went round in the market in the Tulloch, but he was disappointing that day,” Bott said.
“We were still willing to back him up in the Derby, but that didn’t eventuate, and the plan was to potentially always take him down for the St Leger anyway.
“Whether missing the Derby was a good thing in hindsight (well find out).”
After missing the run in the Derby, Format was quickly dispatched to Waterhouse and Bott’s Flemington stable and last Thursday defeated Group 2 winner Lady In Pink in an 1100m jumpout at Werribee.
Format will be aiming to give Waterhouse a sixth VRC St Leger success following wins to Hippopus, Order Of The Sun, Runaway, Transact and Sacramento, the last three in partnership with Bott.
He is striving to become the first product of champion stallion Frankel to win the race that is four years older than the Melbourne Cup and is out of a mare who has experienced success at the highest level at Flemington, albeit over a much shorter trip.
Format is out of Fastnet Rock mare Nechita, winner of Australia’s premier speed test for three-year-olds, the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m), in 2012.
She started her broodmare career in Europe after being purchased by Coolmore for $1.55 million in 2013.
Her first five foals to race were all by Galileo, including Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) placegetter Harpo Marx, Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes (2414m) placegetter Artistic Star and Forebearance, a Group 3 winner over 2414m, which gives Bott confidence ahead of the St Leger.
“He should appreciate the trip,” Bott said.
Format came up with barrier eight in the 12-horse VRC St Leger with Ben Melham to take the ride.
