Peter Gelagotis knows Hvasstan needs to lift on his Sydney performances but the trainer believes the colt won’t get a better chance at Group One success than in Saturday’s South Australian Derby.
It will be Hvasstan’s third crack at a Derby victory this season having finished fourth in the Victoria Derby in the spring and sixth in the Australian Derby last start.
Hvasstan was well-beaten in a two-start Sydney campaign in the Rosehill Guineas and Australian Derby, but connections decided to press on and give him a shot in Saturday’s $500,000 feature in Adelaide.
“I’m pleased with him and that’s why we are chancing our arm, but I’m also mindful that he needs to lift,” Gelagotis said.
“The horse’s performances in Sydney were way below his best Melbourne form and there’s a question mark.”
Gelagotis has always had plenty of faith in the talent of Hvasstan and that hasn’t changed.
He said ratings suggest Hvasstan is the best horse in the race and is hopeful he can run up to that on his return to his favoured way of going.
“The way the acceptances have fallen, he’s not going to get a better chance (to win a Group One),” Gelagotis said.
Hvasstan has won four of his 12 starts including two stakes victories in the Norman Robinson Stakes in the spring and Alister Clark Stakes in March.
There is an inquiry pending into Hvasstan returning a positive swab to ibuprofen on the night of the Group Two Alister Clark and he faces disqualification from his biggest win so far.
The colt is a slight favourite for the Derby ahead of Shoreham who won the Listed Galilee Series Final over 2500m at Flemington last start.
Hioctdane is also right in the market along with Gerontius who finished fourth in the Australian Derby.
“I’m very fond of this horse and have been very confident with him, and I am still,” Gelagotis said.
“But you’ve also got to be mindful that he’s travelled to Sydney and come back and he’s got to go to Adelaide. He’s meeting horses on the up that have probably had specific preparations for that race and it’s probably been a bit of an afterthought for us.”
