The 2800m of the Deane Lester Flemington Cup is expected to suit Mostly Cloudy
Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have had mixed results with European imports purchased as stayers.
Some the Cranbourne-based conditioners have been able to sharpen up and win over a shorter course, but one of their latest ones to hit the track looks an out-and-out stayer.
Mostly Cloudy will be lining up for his fourth Australian start when he runs in the Deane Lester Flemington Cup (2800m) on Saturday.
The Irish-bred galloper was a five-time winner in the UK from 11 starts and after an inauspicious Australian debut at Sandown in May, Mostly Cloudy has been placed in his two most recent outings at Mornington and at Rosehill.
At his most recent outing at Rosehill, Mostly Cloudy finished off gamely over 2400m and Busuttin said the rise in distance to 2800m on Saturday should be ideal.
Mostly Cloudy won three times over the 2800m journey in the UK before his last two wins at 3318m at Doncaster and 3209m at Ascot.
“He’s an out-and-out two-mile horse by the look of him,” Busuttin said.
“He ran very well in Sydney last time, but he couldn’t get warm until the last 300 metres.
“Some of these UK horses, they come back a bit in trip and some can handle it, and some can’t, but he’s one that definitely wants every bit of the 2800 metres on Saturday and possibly even further.”
One thing that does concern Busuttin on Saturday is the two-week turnaround from the Rosehill outing and the float trip up and back to Sydney.
However, a shorter trip to Flemington and the rise in distance are factors the co-trainer thinks will suit the gelding.
“If he handles the two-week turnaround and the trip up and back from Sydney and the hard run, he’ll run very well,” Busuttin said.
“He’s not an overly big horse, but it was too good an opportunity not to have a look at it as it’s 2800 metres at Flemington for good stake money.”
