The victory of Red Alto at Flemington has been just the start trainer Brent Stanley was looking for ahead of the Melbourne spring.
Stanley missed last year’s carnival after being disqualified over the sale of a horse to Hong Kong for more than the owners were told, but is gathering a nice team of horses for this year’s spring.
He says he has a good group of two-year-olds going through their paces along with a group of unraced three-year-olds.,
“I think I’ve got half-a-dozen horses that could be in some of the major races during the spring,” Stanley said.
His two older Group performers, Violate and Sweet Sherry, are also being aimed at spring races.
Stanley is hoping Violate can develop into a Caulfield Cup contender.
Violate has won only one of his 14 starts, but was a consistent performer in Sydney and Brisbane during the autumn and winter carnivals and importantly for Stanley got miles into his legs which he said had toughened the four-year-old.
“If he can improve off that campaign he’ll head towards the big staying races and live the dream of the Caulfield Cup,” he said.
“He didn’t like the wet tracks up in Brisbane but he kept running well and I hope the penny has now dropped with him being a four-year-old.”
Stanley is hoping sprinter Sweet Sherry can graduate to the big league in two Group One races at Moonee Valley.
The mare is set to begin her campaign in the Moir Stakes on September 29 before the Manikato Stakes in October.
“She’s a Group Two winning filly that has come back bigger, better, stronger,” Stanley said.
“The plan with her is to try and win a Group One race for her pedigree.”
