Lovely but enigmatic galloper Lord Of The Sky wins the Group One Futurity and is now off to Kingstar Farm in the Hunter Valley.
That’s the headline trainer Robbie Laing would like to be reading on Saturday night after Lord Of The Sky runs in the 1400m Futurity Stakes weight-for-age race at Caulfield.
Lord Of The Sky is in the twilight of his career with a deal done with Kingstar Farm to stand the rising eight-year-old at stud when his racing days are over.
That could be as early as Saturday, if successful, although Laing said the new partners have indicated they wouldn’t mind if he continued racing.
“They’ve said they’re happy for him to race in Sydney, Brisbane or wherever I want to go,” Laing said.
“I said hypothetically if he won the Futurity it would be the ideal signing off point.”
His best Group One performance so far has been second to Flamberge in the 2015 Goodwood in Adelaide but Laing believes Lord Of The Sky to be in career best form.
He was a last-start fifth, under Damien Oliver, in the C F Orr Stakes at Caulfield on February 10 after missing the start.
After working up the hill, he joined the leader before the turn and was only run down in the last 50m.
Laing said Lord Of The Sky emerged from the race with 15 wounds on his hind legs.
“They were above his hock, across his hock, his tendon,” Laing said.
“He had cuts to both his heels and ripped a plate off.”
Laing said Lord Of The Sky showed no lasting effects when he trialled over 990m at Cranbourne on Monday.
Again with Oliver in the saddle, Lord Of The Sky ran 57.15 secs, under a tight hold.
“He would have run a bit of time if he’d let him run,” Laing said.
“What do they run 1400 (metres) in around Caulfield?
“(One minute) 21-1/2 or 22. That would mean he’d only have to run his last two (400m) in around 24 (seconds) and he’d do that on his ear the way he trialled.
“Whatever takes him on, it will be suicidal.
“If they let him get away with cheap sectionals, and with having three runs under his belt this time in, he might be hard to run down.”
