Given what happened a fortnight ago, Adrian Bott is not taking anything for granted with North England, but the trainer is confident the classy colt will be seen at Randwick on Saturday.
Bott and co-trainer Gai Waterhouse are looking to get North England’s Golden Slipper hopes back on track in the $300,000 Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m).
He was due to resume in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) on February 22, only to be scratched due to an unsatisfactory blood test, but Bott has been happy with his condition since.
“All the markers and parameters and everything that we’ve seen with the horse appears to be in good shape and right on track,” Bott said.
“Hopefully we can have a nice, smooth week and he’ll take his place in the Todman.”
The Todman Stakes for colts and geldings is run on the same day as the fillies-only Reisling Stakes, the two premier Golden Slipper lead-up races, run on a day Waterhouse has used as a stepping stone for half of her eight Golden Slipper winners.
One of those was Farnan, who is the sire of North England, and Bott and Waterhouse took use of an opportunity to give the colt a solid workout in an exhibition gallop at Randwick last Saturday.
He has not started since winning the $1 million Golden Gift on November 9, which followed a third placing in the Group 3 Breeders’ Plate, and Bott said those efforts meant the setback was not the issue it would have been without so much prizemoney in the bank.
“He didn’t really miss any work, obviously he missed an 1100 (metre race) first-up and timing-wise to set him up for the preparation, so it was an important race to miss and he’s now going that time between runs and to 1200,” Bott said.
“Obviously being first-up there, you’d expect some nice improvement to come off the back of that.
“We’re in a nice position where he’s qualified and everything has been focussed with the Slipper in mind.”
The Golden Slipper market is set to be reshaped after Saturday’s meeting with Wodeton and Beiwacht among North England’s Todman rivals, while Tempted heads the market on the Reisling Stakes.
