The Ciaron Maher stable has something to prove as they look to turn Observer into a Group 1 winning colt at 1600m.
The Godolphin-owned three-year-old took out the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) in the spring, and now both trainer and owner would like to add a mile Group 1 to the colt’s CV.
Maher successfully brought Hitotsu back from winning the Derby to claim the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington in the 2021-22 season and the stable has their sights on that mile race with Observer.
Hitotsu was able to win the Guineas first-up, but Maher will kick-off Observer’s autumn campaign in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday before heading to the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on February 28.
“He’s come back, had a couple of jump-outs and looks to be in good form,” Maher’s National Assistant Trainer Jack Turnbull said.
“Interestingly, his jump-outs have been quicker than the two he had last prep.
“We’re trialling against better horses being a Group 1 winner and the tracker has been providing us with some good data.
“We trialled him over a half-mile in his first one to get him chasing and in his second one he had Browny (Ethan Brown) on, and he said he was OK.
“It gives us confidence to run him over 1400 (metres) and that will give him three weeks into the Guineas.
“He’s not quick enough to win first-up at 1200 metres, 1400 metres is OK, and second-up at a mile should be ideal.”
Observer was an unlucky runner in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas when third behind Autumn Boy last October before winning the Moonee Valley Vase and Victoria Derby in successive weeks.
Turnbull said Observer was training with more responsibility this time around and the stable has gone for the lugging bit on Saturday replacing the harsher norton bit.
“Off that Derby prep, he’s not quite as fierce and hopefully, he’s grown up a bit,” Turnbull said.
“We’re going to run him in just a lugging bit, rather than the norton bit, which would suggest he’s matured a bit and hopefully he continues on that pathway to being a racehorse.
“Our aim this preparation is to be a mile winning Group 1 colt to add that to his CV.
“If he could win the Australian Guineas, we could look to go to Sydney for the Rosehill Guineas, but we’re very much a two-race program for now, and after the Guineas we can reassess after discussions with Godolphin.”
