Chris Waller has successfully pinpointed the Carbine Club Stakes as an ideal introduction to stakes racing for emerging three-year-olds and Kaonic is the latest colt to be aimed at the Flemington race.
Waller has won the Group Three Carbine Club (1600m) twice from the past three runnings with Kermadec (2014) and Comin’ Through (2016).
Kermadec went on to win the Group One Doncaster Mile as an autumn three-year-old while Comin’ Through was placed in the Group One Randwick Guineas in his next campaign.
Kaonic, who carries Neville Morgan’s white and blue colours worn by Kermadec and the late Rangirangdoo, has stamped himself as a colt on the rise with two wins from three starts in Sydney.
After a closing third on debut at Warwick Farm, Kaonic won a Canterbury maiden over 1550m and then scored a convincing come-from-behind win in a 1600m-benchmark race against his own age at Randwick.
“He’s a promising horse and just needs a bit of racing,” Waller said.
“It’s a nice race just to finish off the preparation. It will give him a bit of exposure to that higher level and keeps the option open to be able to run in the Australian Guineas or Randwick Guineas (in autumn).”
Waller said Kaonic would be given the opportunity to prove he is up to that level.
The Group One Australian Guineas is over the Flemington 1600m on March 3 next year while the Randwick Guineas (1600m) in Sydney is a week later.
Waller also has Sambro nominated for the Carbine Club.
Sambro has already been tested at stakes level, finishing fifth in the Group One J J Atkins Stakes in Queensland last season, while his two starts at stakes level this season include a third in the Dulcify Quality.
Sambro was third to Kaonic last start at Randwick.
Victoria’s premier trainer Darren Weir won the Carbine Club Stakes two years ago with Mahuta and has in-form Snitzepeg among the 20 nominations.
