Derby winner Green Spaces isn’t expected to trouble the likes of Autumn Glow in the Winx Stakes, but the race will be an important platform for his spring.
The Group 1 fixture represents the entire’s first foray into open company and jockey Rachel King says it’s a crucial transition coming out of three-year-old grade.
“You never know how these three-year-olds are going to come back into their four-year-old year, but he has definitely grown. He’s taller again, and he’s filled out again,” King said.
“He’s got that cool attitude as well. He’s a proper dude, so I’m looking forward to seeing where he’s at.
“Obviously, it’s way short of his best distance-wise, but it will be a good starting point to kick him off and see where he’s at.”
The winner of Newcastle’s Spring Stakes (1600m) last year, Green Spaces took on the cream of his age group in the autumn and excelled once he was stepped up to a middle distance and beyond.
Runner-up to Autumn Boy in the Rosehill Guineas (2000m), he was a comprehensive winner of the ATC Australian Derby (2400m) before he was spelled.
While Green Spaces stretched to a staying trip at three, King doesn’t believe he is one dimensional.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s more like a 2000 metre horse, and I can see him being competitive at a mile to 2000,” she said.
“He’s not a slog. He’s got some gears about him, and he did win a Newcastle Stakes over a mile, so he has got a bit of speed there.
“He’s also a very relaxed customer, so it gives us options.”
Green Spaces has drawn the outside alley in 14 for Saturday’s Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, the race headlined by star mares Autumn Glow (barrier three) and Aeliana (barrier 11), along with the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Sheza Alibi, who has come up with gate one.
While there are no lofty expectations for Green Spaces this weekend, King says connections are hoping to see him warming up late.
“We’ll be happy to let him go to sleep and just hit the line, similar to how I trialled him,” King said.
“First trial he was a little bit fresh and wanted to be there. Second trial he came out, put his head down, and went to sleep like he does. He built up nicely, and his best furlong was after the post. First-up would be something similar.”
