Trips away prepare Sircconi for return

Whenever he can, trainer Peter Morgan takes his horses on a trip away away from his property at Whittlesea for a track gallop.

In preparation for Sircconi’s return in the McKenzie Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday, Morgan has trialled the colt at Cranbourne and taken him to Sandown and Moonee Valley for gallops.

Morgan’s property, outside Melbourne, has its own 2000m-track with a 600m-straight and he said he doesn’t need to leave to get his horses fit.

But the positives far outweigh the negatives.

“Taking them away really tightens them up,” Morgan said.

“They get a bit quiet at home but taking them away gives them an adrenaline rush.

“At home it’s the same routine and they don’t get stirred, so they need that trip away.”

The winner of the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Flemington in March, Sircconi hasn’t raced since finishing fourth in the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes in April.

He finished seventh, beaten under eight lengths, at Cranbourne earlier this month in a 1000m-trial which included star Lindsay Park fillies Formality, Tulip and Catchy.

Formality and Catchy have already returned to racing with the former winning at Randwick last week and Catchy a close second at Caulfield.

Morgan said Sircconi had made considerable improvement from that trial.

“He’s still a little bit underdone but he’s gone ahead in leaps and bounds since Cranbourne,” Morgan said.

“He improved a lot at Sandown last week and has improved a lot again after Moonee Valley.”

Morgan hasn’t mapped out a program for Sircconi but, like most trainers with quality three-year-olds at this time of the year, he hopes he will develop into a Caulfield Guineas contender.

But if he’s showing he might be too dour he will switch his attention to the Caulfield Classic.

“When I bought him he was a big yearling and a lot of people steered off him,” Morgan said.

“I don’t think he’s grown, just got stronger.

“The 1200 metres (on Saturday) might be too short for him but I think he’ll run a nice race.”