With the Autumn Carnival about to swing into action, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable are in for a quiet weekend.
While it may be a quiet week on the racing front, a lot of work is going on behind the scenes, preparing horses for their autumn goals.
Maher and Eustace only have three acceptors for the Flemington meeting on Saturday, but assistant-trainer Jack Turnbull says what they have running is quality.
A Little Deep starts the day for the stable in the Black Caviar Lightning Race Day, 17 February (1100m), who will be ridden by Blake Shinn.
“She’s drawn well, it looks a suitable race and we’ve got an in-form senior on her as well,” Turnbull said.
“There’s not a lot to knock her. She’s worked well since that last win and hopefully she can continue to hold that form.”
Saturday’s outing will be the mare’s first visit to Flemington where her first four starts were on country tracks before being successful at Moonee Valley on December 30.
“Flemington will be interesting, but she is a mare in form and that is sure to go a long way,” Turnbull said.
Lauding will be having his third start for Maher and Eustace after a four-start career in New Zealand when he runs in the TAB Australian Cup Race Day, 30 March (2000m).
But first the gelding needs two scratchings as he is second emergency for the race.
Turnbull expects the rise in trip, after two runs this campaign and 1400m and 1600m, to suit.
“Lauding is a nice horse. He’s drawn out, but he’s up to 2000 metres with the blinkers on will suit,” Turnbull said.
Kusini , a last start runner-up to A Little Deep, rounds out the day for Maher and Eustace in the VRC Life Member Anthony Kencken Sprint (1000m).
“She’s another horse on the up. She put her hand up last start and Carleen Hefel knows her pretty well,” Turnbull said.
“We might be a bit down on numbers, but we are building, and we did trial a lot of horses during the week.
“I’m sure we’ll be back up with the numbers again soon.”
