The Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week is on the wish list of connections with a good three-year-old.
Trainer Danny O’Brien and the connections of Closer To Free are no different and if the colt’s form warrants it, the Group 1 race for three-year-olds over 1200m on the opening day of Melbourne Cup week is where they hope to be.
Closer To Free showed exceptional ability in three runs during a brief two-year-old autumn campaign and kicks off his three-year-old season in the Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
“It looks the right kick-off for him,” O’Brien said.
“He won over the course and distance in the autumn in the Blue Diamond Prelude and he’s had a good build-up over the winter.
“He’s had a quiet trial and then they ran a pretty quick time down the straight in his second one and he should be forward enough to run well first-up.”
Closer To Free scored an imposing debut win on February 7 before running second in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield two weeks later.
The colt then finished second last in the Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill the following month to wind up his two-year-old season.
“Like all these horses, you want to see where they are at with their first run or two,” O’Brien said.
“If everything fell into place, you would love to think that he would get to the Coolmore, but he has to put his hand up to show us that he’s made that progression.
“The main thing is have they got the improvement in them from two to three to still be at the top level.
“All the signs are good. He’s a beautiful colt and done everything right and I’m looking forward to running him again.”
Closer To Free’s second trial leading into Saturday’s first-up run was down the straight over 800m at Flemington on August 3.
O’Brien suggested, all going well, Closer To Free would run in the Group 3 Poseidon Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on September 12 to give him that necessary race experience on the straight track in the lead up to the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
“He’s had a trial down the straight so if we decide to go down that straight track path, he’s had some experience,” O’Brien said.
“There’s a race there on Makybe Diva Stakes Day that may suit, and then he’ll have race experience before the Coolmore if we head there.”
