Which Sartorial Splendor will show up in his return run down the Flemington straight.
That is a question Tom Sadler, assistant trainer to his father John Sadler, would like to answer but cannot give a foolproof answer.
After two disappointing runs in the summer, Sartorial Splendor returns in the Country Achiever Gwenda Johnstone (1100m) on Saturday.
Sartorial Splendor had big wraps on him after a debut win at Terang in April 2019, and while he has won five of his subsequent 19 starts, he has not lived up to the early hype, although he does however boast a win at Group 3 level as a three-year-old and is a winner on the straight course at Flemington.
But Sartorial Splendor’s last first-up run, finishing 11th in the Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington in December, still haunts Sadler.
“His run at Flemington, first-up was disappointing enough but he probably needed the run,” Sadler said.
“We thought he might have had more of a blow if he’d had a crack, but he seemed to come through the run very well.
“We put the blinkers on for his next start which was probably the wrong call, and he goes there just with a tongue tie on Saturday.”
Sartorial Splendor has not raced since leading and setting a fast pace when a fading tenth in the Listed Christmas Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on December 26.
Sadler said Sartorial Splendor was almost ready to resume racing a few weeks ago.
“We had a little bit of a hiccup half-way through the prep hence why he’s been in work a while, but it has taken a little longer to get him to the races,” Sadler said.
“He’s drawn the right alley, but he’s a bit of a tricky horse, sometimes he wants to go too hard and sometimes not at all.
“We’ll find out on Saturday where we are at.”
