Feroce’s quest for Guineas redemption ramps up later this week with the Caulfield Guineas runner-up set to return to the jumpouts.
Trainer Dom Sutton is thrilled with the way the son of Super Seth has come back from a late-spring break and is likely to keep him in Australia.
The Kiwi-bred has been heavily courted for New Zealand’s rich new slot race, which will be run at Ellerslie on March 8, but Sutton is favouring keeping him in his adopted homeland.
“He’s going to trial on the 17th and he’s probably going to kick off in the Autumn Stakes over seven furlongs,” Sutton said.
“We are heavily leaning towards staying here in Australia and going down the Australian Guineas route instead of heading to New Zealand for their slot race.
“There are just so many options for him in the autumn. We’ll gauge it as we go and might even put him in something like the All-Star Mile just in case.”
The Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) is at Caulfield on February 8 with the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) three weeks later.
The first Group 1 edition of the All-Star Mile, now worth $2.5 million, is at Flemington seen days later.
Feroce narrowly missed out on providing Sutton with his first Group 1 winner as trainer, in his first year of being licensed, when beaten a short-head by Private Life in the Caulfield Guineas (1600m).
He then finished third as favourite in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) on November 2, which took his record to two wins and as many placings from seven starts, and Sutton is happy with what he has seen from the gelding on the training track.
“He didn’t get a long time off, as they don’t between spring and autumn, so he’s got a really good amount of residual fitness,” he said.
“He’s probably matured and grown again, he’s a big horse now, and mentally as well he’s learning to relax and do things the right way.
“I’m very confident in the way that he’s going.”
Sutton was last week on the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions January Sale, where he purchased five horses as he continues to build his Ballarat stable.
Among his purchases were two youngsters by I Am Invincible, a $600,000 colt out of Haut Brion Her and a $560,000 filly from Impecunious, who will become the first products of that supersire he has trained in his own name.
“I haven’t trained one yet, but I had a lot to do with I Am Invincibles in the stables I’ve worked,” he said.
“They are the horses you want to get into the stable and I’m extremely fortunate to be in the position to be able to buy them.”
