Trainer Pat Hyland is eyeing autumn riches with classy three-year-old Lizard Island in either Melbourne or Sydney.
Runner-up to Press Statement in the Caulfield Guineas last month, Lizard Island will be aimed at the one of two Guineas races early in the autumn.
As they were this year, the Australian Guineas and the Randwick Guineas will be run on the same day in 2016, a situation Hyland says is ridiculous but does give him an option.
Hyland said his preference on March 6 would be the Australian Guineas but he could switch Lizard Island north to the Sydney version depending on field strength.
“It’s ridiculous having the two Guineas on the same day,” Hyland said.
“We’ll aim the way of the Australian Guineas and we’ll probably go to Sydney with him a bit later, but then it might be best going to whichever is the weaker race.
“The money’s still pretty good.”
After the Caulfield Guineas, Lizard Island finished second to Sacred Eye in the Caulfield Classic before fading for eighth behind Tarzino in the Victoria Derby after having a torrid run.
Hyland said jockey Blake Shinn rang to apologise for his ride aboard the colt in the Derby.
“He said `didn’t ‘I make a mess of that’ and I said `I have to agree with you’,” Hyland said.
“I’m not saying Lizard Island should have won the Derby and he may not have run the journey out, but if he had ridden him the way we had planned to ride him I think he might have loomed up at the furlong post and might have run third or fourth or fifth.”
Lizard Island broke his maiden status at Pakenham before his Caulfield Guineas placing and Hyland thought the three-year-old should have won the Caulfield Classic when run down by Sacred Eye.
Despite recording just one win, Lizard Island had four placings for the campaign earning connections more than $340,000.
