Maturing stayer Summarise has booked a trip north for the next month’s Grafton Cup after a landmark win at Sandown.
His owners feared the four-year-old was not a genuine stayer but he proved them wrong when landing Wednesday’s Betfair Hcp (2400m).
Trainer Stephen Theodore said Summarise, who is part-owned by media identity Rex Hunt, had failed twice at the distance last campaign but on Wednesday, ridden by Damien Oliver, scored by 1-1/4 lengths from Merryvale and Dazzling Rubi.
“Last preparation was his first prep with me and I had to teach him to settle and relax and run the trip,”he said.
“This time in he’s a different horse, much bigger, stronger and mature.”
Second-up this campaign Summarise missed out in a photo-finish in the Swan Hill Cup (1600m) on June 12 while a week ago he ran fourth over 2100m at Sandown with a view to backing up over 2400m on Wednesday.
“The Swan Hill Cup was our first aim and Grafton Cup is our next,” Theodore said.
“At Swan Hill he should have won, no doubt, and we gave him the run last week here preparing him for this race.
“We knew it was a big step up, quickly, but if I wanted him ready for the 2350 metres at Grafton he had to do the job today.
“The owners keep thinking he won’t stay but I think today I might have convinced a few to just relax and let me do my job.”
The $150,000 Grafton Cup is on July 14.
AAP TURF