It wasn’t until 9.25am on the morning of acceptances that Rhys Archard decided to bite the bullet and accept with Boltsaver at Sandown.
There were just seven acceptors at that stage on Wednesday morning for the ive> Handicap (1400m) on Saturday when Archard reasoned his galloper would appreciate the heavy ground at Sandown where he has been a winner previously, on the Lakeside course.
Boltsaver is not well handicapped in Saturday’s race given his rating, but Archard said the gelding’s love of heavy ground and the weight drop will give him a chance.
“The heavy track at Sandown, it’s really the only reason we’re going,” Archard said.
“On a dry track, he’s certainly not an open handicap horse.
“A heavy eight, with a bit more rain coming on Saturday, we thought we would accept and see what the field came up like.”
Boltsaver has placed in all three runs this campaign including a first-up third on a dry track at Caulfield in April.
He followed that with a closing second at Warrnambool on May 6 before stewards ruled the gelding out from backing up at that track the following day.
Boltsaver was then a month between runs, finishing second at Swan Hill last Sunday.
“He finally got a decent spell after Melbourne Cup Day last year,” Archard said.
“He had eight to 10 weeks out, and it really helped him.
“He’d never really had much of a break and all his runs this time in have been terrific, albeit without much luck, especially his first couple.
“He had every chance last Sunday, but he’s so good on a wet track.
“We haven’t had these wet tracks in Victoria really in the last 18 months and he seems to run well when he’s down in the weights.
“He ran really well on Cup Day when down in the weights and especially on a quick back-up, that will help also.”
With some of the higher-weighted horses benefiting from a claim on Saturday, Archard has elected to go with senior rider Beau Mertens.
“He’s not a kid’s horse as he can overdo it in the run,” Archard said.
“He needs a strong rider, and he can be a bit of a thinker at the backend of a race, but he loves Sandown, especially the uphill run home.”
