Impressive first-up winner Unanimously is a certain runner at Randwick on Saturday but trainer Matthew Dale is keeping his options open for as long as possible.
The three-year-old is set to take on older horses for the first time but connections are yet to decide whether he runs in the 1100m Open Handicap or the Benchmark 80 over 1200m.
“He’s definitely running on Saturday but we’re considering accepting in both races (on Wednesday morning) and having a look,” Dale said.
“He returned in great fashion at Canterbury and I haven’t been able to fault him since.
“He is coming off three weeks from his first-up run into his second-up run and he’s always performed well off that break in the past with two city wins.”
Unanimously took his record to five victories and three placings from just 11 starts when he resumed at Canterbury on May 7 and led all the way in a 3YO Benchmark 75 to post a two-length winning margin.
Apprentice Taylor Lovelock-Wiggins picked up the ride after fellow apprentice Jason Collett was ruled out due to illness.
Lovelock-Wiggins will retain the mount on Saturday should the gelding start in the Benchmark race where he has 58.5kg.
Mathew Cahill has been booked for Unanimously in the Open Handicap with 53kg.
Unanimously is eligible for BOBS bonuses if he continues to race in Sydney during the winter but Dale is also looking at interstate options.
The Canberra-based trainer held the three-year-old in high enough regard to nominate for the Group One Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in Brisbane.
While a Queensland start is still an option, Dale said a trip south rather than north is also being considered for Unanimously’s next assignment after this weekend.
“I actually think there’s possibly a nicer race in Melbourne for him up the straight two weeks after Saturday which is an option,” Dale said.
“But we’ll just wait and see, keep our options open and play it by ear.”
The Listed Creswick Stakes (1200m) is run at Flemington on June 11.
The trainer was successful in Melbourne last Saturday when two-year-old Jackpot Queen scored narrowly over 1000m at Flemington.
Dale is not concerned about Unanimously taking on older horses for the first time this weekend.
“That’s obviously the next test but he’s rising four now and you drop back down in the weights as an up-and-coming progressive horse taking on the older horses,” he said.
“It’s sort of that time of year where you start to have to do it, and I don’t think that should be posing a big problem.”
AAP TURF
