Belmont Guineas winner Devoted is set to join Luke Fernie’s stable, after the Ascot trainer purchased him for $105,000 in an online sale this week.
Devoted ran third in the 2021 WA Guineas (1600m) under the care of Grant and Alana Williams, before his successful Belmont Guineas (1600m) campaign under the care of Michael Grantham.
He was transferred to John Leek Jnr’s stable in Victoria after a luckless 2022 TABtouch Pinnacles campaign.
Devoted has scored one win from seven starts under Leek Jnr’s care and has been luckless in his two most recent outings.
Fernie said he was excited to train the son of Xtravagant.
“We are very lucky to get Devoted into the stables,” Fernie told TABradio.
“We are pretty fortunate Bob moves some of his horses on.
“It’ll be exciting to see him back at the track.”
Fernie said the five-year-old would continue his current preparation in Victoria, before he returned to Perth for feature races later this year.
“We are going to leave him in Victoria for a couple of runs,” he said.
“We’ve got him with the Hayes boys (Ben, Will and JD) at the moment to run their eye over him.
“He will come back over after that, and we will target some of the races over the carnival.”
Meanwhile, Fernie will be hoping Be Optimistic can deliver him one of the highlight races of the Belmont winter season when she lines up in the Group 3 Strickland Stakes (2000m) tomorrow.
The mare has returned to Fernie’s stable after she finished fifth to En Francais in the Group 3 Cummings Stakes (1600m) in Adelaide last month.
The $200,000 event will be the first time Be Optimistic has run in Perth since the Perth Cup (2400m) on New Year’s Day.
Fernie said Be Optimistic had taken the trip in her stride.
“She stayed a week in Adelaide, then went to dad’s (Peter Fernie) for a couple of days and he brought her back to us,” he said.
“I didn’t think she’d be competitive at Weight-For-Age over 14 and even the mile against some of the good sprinters here.
“We elected to go that way (Adelaide) and she’s come back in fantastic order.
“It’s been faultless since then.”
Be Optimistic is on the third line of betting for the Strickland Stakes at $8.50.
Western Empire is the commanding $1.70 favourite, while Marocchino is the $5.50 second elect.
Fernie said it would be a good test for the mare under the Weight-For-Age conditions.
“57 is going to be an ask for her, but I think she’s going better than what she was Perth Cup time,” he said.
“It’ll be very interesting to see how she goes.
“I don’t think five weeks between runs will be an issue.”
Tomorrow’s Strickland Stakes gets underway at 3.50pm.
