Co-trainer Gerald Ryan is confident Peltzer can make a return to the winner’s circle when the talented colt drops from elite company back to Group Two grade in the Stan Fox Stakes at Randwick.
Peltzer has been working well since his latest midfield finish behind Ole Kirk in the Group One Golden Rose (1400m) where he jumped a shadow at the 1200m mark and failed to balance up until well inside the 400m.
“The horse has been in terrific order since. He hasn’t missed a beat.” Ryan said.
“He’s been getting the job done against a very good bunch of three-year-olds.”
Ryan suggested the son of So You Think will be better placed stepping up in distance against a weaker class of opposition and his record indicates the horse prefers Randwick over Rosehill.
“It’s a different tempo and there won’t be the same pressure that he has encountered in his last three runs,” Ryan said.
“I can see him leading.”
Tim Clark replaces regular rider Kerrin McEvoy, who is engaged to partner Inglis Millennium winner Prime Star in Saturday’s race.
Now in a training partnership with Sterling Alexiou, Ryan was victorious in the corresponding race 12 months ago with Colada, who led from pillar to post in the feature.
Colada, now racing in Hong Kong, upstaged his more fancied stablemate Bottega and broke the Randwick track record for the rarely contested 1500m journey.
If Peltzer can emulate the deeds of Colada then a shot at the $1 million Bondi Stakes (1600m) will be next on the horse’s agenda.
“If he shows he can run 1500 metres on Saturday, we’ll go to the Bondi in two weeks time,” Ryan said.
“Why go rushing to Melbourne?”
Peltzer is currently the dominant $2.20 favourite in TAB fixed odds betting.
The Ryan-Alexiou stable has also nominated Bottega and Mr Mosaic for races on Saturday on a program which is headlined by the $1 million Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) and the $500,000 Silver Eagle (1300m).
Last year’s Stan Fox placegetter Bottega is top weight for a 1400m benchmark race and Ryan is expecting a strong second-up performance from the multiple stakes-placed son of Snitzel.
“He was unlucky not to win first-up at Rosehill. He’s trained on alright and meets the same class on Saturday,” Ryan said.
The lightly-raced Mr Mosaic makes his first foray into Saturday company following two bold front-running performances in midweek grade last month.
“He’s stepping up now but he’s a very fast horse and he’s in his right class,” Ryan said.
