Well-rested stayer Polarisation has been tasked with giving Godolphin’s European contingent a feel-good factor after The Gold Trail’s demise on his Australian debut at Mornington.
Polarisation faces his first start since September in Saturday’s Group Two $300,000 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) at Randwick, the five-year-old’s lead-up to the $2 million Sydney Cup (3200m) a week later in which fellow traveller Penglai Pavilion is also entered.
Leading Godolphin Charlie Appleby inherited Polarisation after he finished a distant last in the Northumberland Plate last June. In his only run for the Newmarket-based Appleby, Polarisation ran fourth in a handicap at Doncaster on September 9 before being spelled.
Polarisation and Penglai Pavilion arrived at the Canterbury quarantine facility earlier this month and the pair looked impressive during track work on Thursday.
The Gold Trail also made the trip south via Dubai with an aim to qualify for the 2017 Caulfield Cup, a strategy that relied on the six-year-old winning the Mornington Cup last Saturday.
The Gold Trail ran fourth then broke down 100m past the post and was euthanised at the track.
Jockey Craig Williams was knocked unconscious when he was flung from his mount but avoided serious injury.
He is booked to ride Chairman’s Handicap favourite Big Duke ($2.50) providing he passes a concussion test.
Polarisation is on the fifth line of betting at $9.50 with Luxbet.com.
