Growing Empire is set to return to Sydney for the first time since placing in The Everest and connections are banking on him making rapid improvement back on a circular course.
The three-year-old has contested a trio of straight races at Flemington since his outstanding third behind Bella Nipotina and Giga Kick in The Everest (1200m) in October but will find himself navigating a turn in Saturday’s The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill.
Johann Gerard-Dubord, assistant to trainer Ciaron Maher, believes the circuit will make a significant difference as the colt strives to bounce back to his best following a brace of unplaced runs in Melbourne.
“His first run was a forget run. It was very windy that day and the race didn’t really work out for him. He did a couple of things wrong, there was a lot to look at that day,” Gerard-Dubord said of Growing Empire’s unplaced effort in the Lightning Stakes.
“He was better second-up (in the Newmarket Handicap), but I think he will be better around a bend.
“He gets back to a bend this week and the horse is fit and going well.”
Growing Empire will be among three Galaxy runners for Maher along with talented mares I Am Me and Estriella.
Estriella will need to lift after finishing down the track in last month’s Oakleigh Plate (1100m) when settling back and wide, while I Am Me rebounded from her unplaced effort in the same race to finish third behind Jedibeel in the Challenge Stakes (1000m).
“She was better last start,” Gerard-Dubord said of I Am Me.
“It wasn’t easy, two weeks between runs and the trip all the way to Sydney, plus going from 1100 to 1000 metres.
“She still ran very good sectionals and gets back to 1100 metres.”
Unbeaten three-year-old Private Harry is a $3.20 favourite for The Galaxy with Growing Empire the top pick of Maher’s runners as an $8 chance.