Royal to take his shot at the Mile at The Valley

Image: Bruno Cannatelli

David Brideoake has concerns over the barrier ahead of Royal Mile heading to Moonee Valley

In an ideal world, trainer David Brideoake and Matt Jenkins would skip a start at Moonee Valley and save Royal Mile for a race at Flemington.

However, Brideoake said Royal Mile was highly likely to take his spot in the Travis Harrison Cup (1600m) on Saturday rather than wait a week for a 1400m contest at Flemington.

Both races are benchmark 100 contests and Royal Mile only just scrapped into the field at The Valley.

Brideoake said if he decided to bypass Saturday and missed a start at Flemington, it may affect the gelding’s program leading deeper into the spring.

Royal Mile was formerly trained in South Australia by Lee Creek before returning to his breeder – Brideoake – when Creek retired and moved to Queensland.

A winner of six of his 24 starts for Creek, Royal Mile had his first run for Brideoake and Jenkins when a closing seventh at Flemington over 1200m on July 15.

“He performed very well first-up,” Brideoake said.

“But I’ve drawn badly, and they have the rail out which doesn’t impress me, especially for a Saturday meeting, so I’ve been contemplating running him in a similar race over 1400 metres at Flemington next week, but my worry is whether we would get a run.

“Condition wise, I’m really pleased with him, so I’m thinking we’ll have to run on Saturday.”

Brideoake said he was not concerned about stepping up to 1600m on Saturday second-up.

He said Royal Mile had good post-race recovery from his Flemington performance and had continued to improve his fitness in the weeks since.

Brideoake has the Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield as a potential spring target for Royal Mile.

“He’s at that rating, where we might be able to stick him into something and being down in the weights, it might work out pretty well,” Brideoake said.

The stable also has Affordable in the Dominant 65 Years Handicap (1600m) and Catalina Black Cat in the Dominant Plant Powered Handicap (1200m).

Brideoake said Affordable had done well since his first-up Bendigo win where he was ‘flopping around’ in the heavy ground and will appreciate a slightly firmer surface on Saturday while Catalina Black Cat sits up on the speed and with the rail out five metres the entire circuit, the trainer said it will suit him.