Greg Eurell will take a team of three runners to Caulfield on Saturday, all with their sights set on the rich incentives offered on the annual VOBIS raceday.
While Promises Kept ($26) lines up on the million-dollar Showdown (1200m), he saddles up a pair in the VOBIS Sires Guineas (1600m) in Don Diego and Tauty.
Tauty is rated a $101 chance with TAB but Eurell’s day is best highlighted by Don Diego who has had market support at $3.60 as of Thursday afternoon.
“He’s the one,” Eurell said of Don Diego.
“This has been the target race and with his last run at Sandown it looked like the 1600 metres would be ideal for him next start.”
The three-year-old gelding by Toronado notched a win on debut at Pakenham over 1200 metres five weeks ago and followed up with a third-placing behind Vasmee, the $4.20 favourite in the Yulong Stud Handicap (1400m) earlier in the day.
“When he won his maiden he did things that a lot of horses can’t do at that stage,” Eurell commented.
“He missed the start, ran on and won by the margin that he did (3½ lengths) which made you think that he has ability and that 1600 metres is what he is after.”
Damian Lane rode Don Diego last start and retains the mount for this $500,000 event.
“Even when Damian rode him at Sandown he said that he feels like that distance would be ideal and that he’d probably progress to 2000 metres which was encouraging as well,” Eurell said.
While Tauty takes her place in the field, and the Cranbourne-based horseman says that she will present well despite her big price, the sights have been set on the VOBIS money with Don Diego right from the moment he passed the winning post to break the duck with even more on the cards should he strike again at Caulfield.
“We mapped this out right after he won his maiden at Pakenham,” he adds.
“He’s in very good knick and I’m really happy with the way he’s been working.
“Timing wise this race is ideal and if he happened to win it then we’ll put him away for the Spring.”
The Phillip Stokes-trained Tobaysure is on the first line of better at $2.80.
