Sutton keeping an open mind with Feroce

Image: Bruno Cannatelli

Former Australian Guineas winner Feroce is set to kick off his campaign at Caulfield.

Trainer Dominic Sutton will keep an open mind on the program of Feroce until he assesses the gelding’s first-up run at Caulfield.

Last year’s Group 1 Australian Guineas winner is down to resume in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m) on Saturday.

The gelding’s performance in his return run will determine the path Feroce takes.

Races like the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 21 and the Group 1 All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington next month are in the back of Sutton’s mind, as is the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) on February 28.

“We haven’t made any set plans. We want to see how he returns first-up,” Sutton said.

“We’ll probably keep him to that 1400 metres, to a mile, but he has returned well.

“Potentially he could head to the Futurity, the All-Star Mile, but if we need to keep him a level down, there is also the Blamey at Flemington.

“The weather will dictate whether he goes to Sydney for a race like the Doncaster, but we’ll probably just target Victoria because we know how wet Sydney can get in the autumn.

“I’ll be dodging the wet tracks with him.”

Feroce had a good start to his spring last campaign, finishing third in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, before the gelding’s form tapered off when eighth in Toorak Handicap before striking a wet track in the Golden Eagle in Sydney.

“He had a really good start to the spring and in the Rupert Clarke, he was super, ran a peak performance that day, and then we got things tactically wrong in the Toorak,” Sutton said.

“We pressed forward from a wide gate, and he just couldn’t do it in that high pressure race, riding the speed and that pressure early.

“Then we took him to Sydney for the Golden Eagle. It rained on the day, it was a horrible track, horrible conditions.

“He needs a good surface, and it was literally a forget run.”

While Sutton believes Feroce’s best trip is in thae1400m to 1600m range, he may again be keen to explore stepping the gelding up to 2000m.

At his only try at 2000m, Feroce finished sixth in last year’s Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington.

“It was an afterthought and he was the youngest horse in the race and with Pride Of Jenni in the race, it was a stiff 2000 metres,” Sutton said.

“I have always thought he would be a 10-furlong horse, but he does seem to sprint quite well fresh.

“We’ll see which way he takes us, but there are plenty of options.”