Sartorial Splendor has become Mr Consistency and will be aiming for three straight wins when he lines up at Flemington
Punters for a long time have had a love-hate relationship with Sartorial Splendor who will be aiming for three straight wins when he runs at Flemington.
The John Sadler-trained sprinter is nominated in the Jack Styring Sprint (1100m) on Saturday with the four-year-old aiming for a seventh career win from 19 starts.
A debut winner as a $1.60 favourite at Terang in April 2019, Sartorial Splendor has gone around in “the red” on one other occasion, when defeated into third place at The Valley the following October.
There have been other occasions where Sartorial Splendor has been expected to win, but gone under, such as the two-length defeat at Sandown as the $2.15 top elect and as a well-tried $2.50 hope over the 955m at The Valley in February.
But then there has been the good Sartorial Splendor.
Considered suspect beyond 1000m because of his racing manners, Jamie Kah got the then three-year-old to see out the 1200m when he claimed the Red Anchor Stakes.
Victories since have been predominantly over 955m and 1000m, including success at Flemington on Anzac Day where he showed a sign of maturity in not wanting to over-race.
And that enabled the four-year-old to again stretch out to 1100m when successful at his most recent outing at Caulfield on May 29.
Sadler does not fear a return to racing down the straight, but what he wants is a relatively firm track.
“He’s won down the Flemington straight once but he also raced there in the Coolmore,” Sadler said.
“The horse is good and all he needs is a dry track.
“The failure in the Coolmore was because a) he wasn’t good enough, and b) the wet track.
“I would say that the way he won there that the straight definitely suits him, no doubt.”
