Dan Morton is confident his star sprinter Elite Street can make a statement in the Group 3 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) at Ascot on Saturday.
Elite Street has not raced in six months since taking out the Northam Stakes (1100m) and Roma Cup (1200m) Group 3 double in the winter.
Elite Street will compete in the Colonel Reeves Stakes on Saturday before attempting to win his second Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) on November 26.
Morton says on his work the Street Boss gelding is showing all the right signs that he’s in fine fettle and primed to tackle a new campaign of racing.
“He’s nice and well and has had a good little prep leading in so I’m looking forward to it,” Morton said on Tabradio.
“We’ve got him forward enough as obviously he’s only going to have this one and then straight into the Winterbottom.
“We needed him very ready and I think he is.”
Elite Street won’t have as taxing a preparation as 12-months ago when he won a hat trick of feature races and placed third in the Winterbottom Stakes.
The six-year-old won the Crawford Stakes (1000m), the Prince Of Wales Stakes (1000m) and reached a peak in the Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m).
Morton believes Elite Street is going as well as he was this time a year ago.
“I feel he is, he’s moving beautifully,” Morton said.
“We’ve been getting good grass gallops into him and we like what we’ve seen so far.
“Brad Rawiller has been on him for most of his bigger pieces of work and he’s very happy with him.”
Elite Street carries the 59.kg topweight for the Colonel Reeves Stakes and jumps from barrier nine for Rawiller.
Elite Street and stable mate, Wilchino, gives Morton a potent two-pronged attack in the Colonel Reeves Stakes.
Wilchino showcased her sprinting credentials last year by winning six straight races before finishing down the track in the Winterbottom Stakes as favourite.
The Maschino mare was unplaced on her return in last month’s Crawford Stakes (1000m), but her hopes were hindered after starting from the widest gate (16).
The six-year gets a better opportunity to bounce back from barrier three in the Colonel Reeves Stakes and Morton believes she can run an improved race.
“She hasn’t taken a backward step workwise,” Morton said.
“If she can make good use of her barrier and be in the firing line she should be there for a fair way.”
Elite Street holds $3.30 favouritism in the Colonel Reeves Stakes, shading Miss Conteki ($3.80).
Wilchino is next at $6.
Morton’s feature race team on Saturday includes Stafford’s Lad in the Luckygray Stakes (1800m) and Sesswa in the Champion Fillies Stakes.
