Fiorente didn’t have to be among trainer Gai Waterhouse’s fastest on the training track on Tuesday morning to all but confirm a Ranvet Stakes start.
While the Melbourne Cup winner wasn’t out to challenge the clock, his piece of work still ranked as one of the best to Waterhouse’s eye during a busy trackwork session on the Randwick course proper.
“He was only out there to bowl around but I thought his work was excellent,” Waterhouse said.
With Mark Newnham in the saddle, Fiorente was sent over 1400m in 1min40.3secs, putting the last 600m behind him in 38.5s with the final 200m in 12.4s.
It was left to fellow English import and Ranvet entry Carlton House to turn the most heads with his course proper gallop over the same distance.
He was sent out to make superior time to Fiorente, covering the 1400m in 1m33s, returning 37.5s and 11s sectional times.
Carlton House ran his best race since joining Waterhouse’s stable when he finished second to Opinion after making the pace in the Parramatta Cup.
Given Carlton House never shirked the issue under 61kg despite a frantic early tempo, it was a clear sign the entire is close to the form which had him rated a superior racehorse to Fiorente when they were stablemates in England.
With New Zealand-trained It’s A Dundeel a formidable Ranvet rival, an in-form Carlton House gives Waterhouse some welcome extra firepower in a bid to win the Rosehill weight-for-age race for the eighth time.
“This is really serious racing now,” Waterhouse said.
Fiorente will take his place in Saturday’s field after an unbeaten two-start Melbourne autumn campaign where his prize money shot past $6 million thanks to his Australian Cup win.
He returns to Tulloch Lodge with only one previous Sydney start to his credit when third in last year’s All Aged Stakes – the race best remembered for the controversial defeat of former stablemate More Joyous.
