Patinack Farm trainer John Thompson is still weighing up his options for the rejuvenated Trusting but favours keeping him in Sydney for one more run this spring.
Thompson is loathe to change too much too soon given the five-year-old is racing in career-best form and finally delivering on his early potential after several frustrating campaigns.
He is leaning to starting Trusting in the Group One Metropolitan Handicap (2400m) at Randwick next Saturday but hasn’t entirely ruled out the Group One Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington a day later.
“He will either run in the Turnbull or the Metropolitan,” Thompson said.
“He is going so well I would rather keep him in Sydney.
“It’s taken such a long while to get him in good shape and I don’t want to bugger it up now.
Trusting has won his past two starts in the Chelmsford over 1600m and Hill Stakes over 2000m but is untested beyond that distance.
Singapore star Joao Moreira has made the trip to Sydney to ride him at his past two starts and will again return to partner him on Saturday.
Moreira is another factor in Trusting running in the Metropolitan because his Singapore commitments prevent him riding in Australia on Sunday.
The jockey will also be reunited with Trusting’s stablemate Pane In The Glass in the Group One Flight Stakes (1600m).
Pane In The Glass has contested the first three legs of the Princess Series, kicking off with a win in the Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) before a fourth in the Furious Stakes (1400m) and a second to Streama last start in the Tea Rose Stakes (1500m).
The Flight Stakes is the final leg in the four-race series and Thompson is hoping it is run at a genuine pace to give his filly, a backmarker, a winning chance.
“She’ll be there. She’s flying, she just needs the speed on,” Thompson said.
Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack Farm will also be represented in the first two-year-old races of the Sydney season.
Gottagun is on target to tackle the Listed Breeders Plate (1000m), won last year by Smart Missile, while Hussousa will line up in the Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) for fillies.
Both were winners at the official two-year-old trials at Canterbury on Monday and will be ridden by Moreira.
Hussousa is by Husson out of a Redoute’s Choice mare while Gottagun is a son of Shamardal.
AAP TURF
