Trainer Mike Moroney is keeping his options open but is leaning towards sending Radipole to Sydney for the Group Two Ajax Stakes at Rosehill.
The French import is also nominated for Saturday’s Group Two Blamey Stakes (1600m) on his home track at Flemington, with acceptances for both races to be taken on Wednesday.
“We’ll pay up in both places and work it out,” Moroney said.
“There’s a bit of a leaning towards Sydney for two reasons. He looks better suited at the weights and also the winner of that race is exempt from the ballot for the Doncaster.”
Radipole has 50kg in the Doncaster Mile and is well down the order of entry and will probably need a ballot exemption to make the field for the $3 million handicap at Randwick on April 7.
“That’s a race we’re keen on with him,” Moroney said.
The Blamey Stakes (1600m) is run under set weights and penalties conditions and Radipole has 55kg, 4kg less than the Darren Weir-trained dual Group One winners Tosen Stardom and Humidor who head an early all-in market at $2.70 and $3 respectively.
Radipole is on the limit 53kg in the Ajax Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill which has attracted 16 nominations including eight from the stable of premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller.
Five-year-old Radipole finished fifth in the Group One Cantala Stakes (1600m) at Flemington at the end of his spring campaign last year and resumed from a spell with a second to Coldstone in a 1400m handicap at Flemington on February 17.
“His first-up run was very good,” Moroney said.
“I think he’s finally acclimatised 100 per cent.”
Radipole won a jump-out at Flemington last Friday and Moroney said the gelding was going well.
Races in Queensland are also on the radar for Radipole later in his preparation.
Moroney is likely to accept for Tribal Wisdom in the Listed 1400m race at Flemington on Saturday and the 1350m benchmark-89 at Rosehill, with the trainer indicating the gelding was also likely to head to Sydney.
“Especially with a bit of rain about up there,” Moroney said.
The trainer has Des Moines heading to Saturday’s Group Three TBV Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) for two-year-old fillies at Flemington.
Stakes winning gelding Milwaukee is scheduled to resume in the Grand Handicap Sprint (1200m) at Flemington while last-start Caulfield winner Top Of The Range is headed to the Grand Handicap Mile (1600m).
