Clayton Douglas is looking forward to the challenge of taking Title Fighter to Moonee Valley to contest the sprinter’s first Stakes race.
After wins at Pakenham and Geelong, Title Fighter jumps significantly in grade when he lines up in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) on Friday night.
Title Fighter is unbeaten in two runs this campaign, winning first-up in a benchmark 74 race at Pakenham before scoring at benchmark 84 level over 1100m at Geelong on January 4.
What gives Douglas heart with Title Fighter when he takes on the likes of Southport Tycoon, Steparty, Schwartz and Poison Chalice, is the sprinter’s excellent third-up record.
And Douglas said the gelding’s liking for the Moonee Valley circuit was another factor in electing to head to Group 2 company on Friday night.
“He’s won his last couple and he’s obviously in really good form,” Douglas said.
“It’s a big ask, especially at weight-for-age, and at that level as there’s three or four that look a little better than him at this point, but he’s in great form.
“He’s won at The Valley before and he’s going well, the owners are keen to have a crack, and while he’s in this type of form, we’ll have a go.”
With $350,000 in prize money on offer, Douglas said Friday night’s race will be the richest race Title Fighter has contested having competed in $80,000 and $100,000 races at his past two starts.
“You don’t get many opportunities to run for this type of money at The Valley and his record third-up is good,” Douglas said.
“He goes in a fit horse, he goes in full of confidence and he’s drawn a good gate.”
A debut winner at The Valley in July 2023, Douglas said even though Title Fighter is now a winner of four races, it had taken a while for the ‘penny to drop’ in what being a racehorse was about.
“He went boom at his first start, won third-up Caulfield as a three-year-old, but then went off the boil again,” Douglas said.
“He’s the sort of horse that I’ve worked out now how he wants to be trained.
“He just likes to cruise along between races and that seems to suit him best, so hopefully we’ll see the best of him at The Valley.”
