Toby Edmonds is looking at options for Houtzen in the lead-up to the Golden Slipper
Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds is looking at several options for Houtzen in the lead-up to the 2017 Golden Slipper, including a barrier trial at Randwick.
The Magic Millions Classic winner is the equal Slipper favourite alongside She Will Reign who runs in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm on Monday.
Edmonds is looking at the Randwick trials a week later for Houtzen who won the Magic Millions on January 14 from the outside gate.
“She had ten days in the paddock and was probably doing a bit too well so we brought her back in,” Edmonds said.
“One option is to trial her at Randwick on Monday week and then run in the Sweet Embrace two weeks after that but nothing is set in stone.”
Another option for Houtzen is to resume in the Reisling Stakes at Rosehill on March 4.
There are trials in south east Queensland in the next fortnight at the Gold Coast, Deagon and the Sunshine Coast.
Edmonds will make a final decision this week after seeing how Houtzen has progressed in what has been a record hot summer in Queensland.
“But it hasn’t been much cooler in Sydney,” Edmonds said.
Fellow trainer Liam Birchley has sent last Sunday’s New Zealand Karaka Millions failure Ameridon to be gelded.
“He was not drawn to win the Karaka race but he never really got into it. He is better than that,” Birchley said.
“He is being gelded. It should make a real horse of him”
Birchley had another good Karaka sale coming away with nine horses.
“It was tough the first day but the second day was a buyers’ market and I got some nice horses,” he said.
Birchley, who has a great record in New Zealand, is hoping to go back for million dollar two and three-year-old races at Ellerslie next year.
