Connections of last-start Listed winner All Too Royal are looking favourably at a start in the Kensington Stakes which will have a small field at Flemington.
Five-year-old All Too Royal is one of seven nominations for Saturday’s Listed 1000m straight-track Kensington Stakes with the entries headlined by Group One-winning three-year-old colt Microphone who tops the weights with 60kg.
There were eight original nominations on Monday but Triguboff was soon withdrawn with his rating (62) below the 65 cut-off to be eligible for an open or Listed race in Victoria.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained All Too Royal claimed his first stakes win when he took out the Christmas Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield in his first run back from a spell on December 26, his fourth win from five first-up attempts.
Given All Too Royal’s fresh record, Eustace admits he would probably prefer more of a space until the gelding’s next start but without many alternatives, he says the gelding is likely to head to Saturday’s race.
Connections have until Wednesday morning to decide whether to accept.
“I think he will go there,” Eustace said.
“He worked well this morning.
“There doesn’t appear to be many suitable options around which makes it tricky.
“It looks like it’s going to be a small field on Saturday.
“He’s obviously going very well. That was a career-best performance for him first-up and we couldn’t be happier with him.”
All Too Royal will have to drop from 1200m to 1000m in the Kensington Stakes but Eustace believes that is not as big a concern as it would be if the race was around a bend and not down the Flemington straight.
Unbeaten filly Blossom On Snow is among the Maher and Eustace stable’s probable runners on Saturday’s program.
The winner of her two starts, she is set to run in the Super Vobis Three-Years-Old BM70 Handicap (2000m).
Blossom On Snow won over 1600m at Caulfield last start in benchmark-64 grade against her own age and sex but had a warning placed for her racing manners after shifting out abruptly near the 200m when in the lead.
“She’s still a bit raw and still working it out but once she gets there and really stretches out I think she’s a filly very much with a future,” Eustace said.
“I think she will handle the step up to 2000 metres absolutely fine.
“She hasn’t missed a beat since her last start.”
