Boom colt Royal Symphony is the headline act going into the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final but trainer Robbie Laing is not running scared with the talented Evil Cry.
The Tony McEvoy-trained Royal Symphony is unbeaten in his two starts, including an impressive last-to-first win at Flemington last start which has elevated him to the top of early betting charts for the Caulfield Guineas.
Evil Cry is yet to notch a win from four attempts but Laing has a good opinion of the colt and while he concedes Royal Symphony is the horse he fears most in Saturday’s 1600m-race at Flemington, he is happy to give Evil Cry his chance.
“I think he’ll run first or second,” Laing said.
“The good colt has got a bit of weight.”
Royal Symphony has 59kg and will be giving 3.5kg to Evil Cry and even more to the rest of his rivals.
“I’m not frightened and I’ve also been educated not to miss a race because of one horse,” Laing said.
“It was always the plan to go to this race and we thought we’d go via the 1400 metre race two weeks ago at Flemington but he drew barrier 16.”
Instead, Laing ran Evil Cry at Caulfield last Saturday when he finished second to Lone Eagle over 1200m, and he steps straight to 1600m on a seven-day back-up.
‘It won’t bother him,” Laing said.
“He’s been to Adelaide first-up and come back and run third at Flemington and then had three weeks between that race and the race at Caulfield.
“Now he’s just going to go bang, bang for the one and only time this preparation and then he’ll go straight out for a break after this.
“I think he’s a Caulfield Guineas horse.”
The Taj Rossi Series Final has a field of 14 with Royal Symphony drawing barrier two while Evil Cry has gate 10.
“He’ll run well,” Laing said.
“I reckon he’s better this week than last week, just in his skin and the way he’s eating.
“I’ve just done slow work with him and he’ll do some pacework in the morning on the grass and that will do him.”
Saturday’s program features the finals of a host of winter series races in Victoria, including the Winter Championship Series and the All Victorian Sprint Series.
