Derby plans for Statuario
Image: Bruno Cannatelli
A Derby in Adelaide or Brisbane will now be considered for Statuario after his victory at Caulfield.
Training partners Emma-Lee & David Browne have a decision to make on which Derby to chase after the win of Statuario at Caulfield.
The three-year-old booked his place in either the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on May 3 or the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm four weeks later after Statuario took out the Listed Galilee Series Final (2400m) on Saturday.
David Browne said one of the two Derby’s would be considered after Statuario registered his third career win from 10 starts.
“We’ll have to weigh up now whether we give him a little freshen now and head up to Queensland or whether we take the four-week gap and head over to Adelaide for the Derby,” Browne said.
“The South Australian Derby looks a nice race for him, if he comes through this well.
“We just didn’t want to stretch him out this far in the spring. He was still a little bit weak, but he’s starting to furnish now, but I don’t know whether he’s that effective on wet and heavy ground, but until you try it, you don’t know.”
Sent out the $1.75 favourite under John Allen, Statuario registered a 2-¼ length win from Politely Dun ($12) with Litzdeel ($18) a length away third.
Statuario was coming off a last start third behind Shanwah in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley and handled the rise in trip without a problem.
“I thought he peaked on his run the other day,” Browne said.
“He had to do a lot of work from the back and if you set sail from a long way out, you will eventually get tired, but today he ended up in the right spot, he went to sleep, and he finished off well.
“He probably hit the front too early and started floating around. Hopefully he will continue to improve from there, but importantly he saw out the trip.
“Sometimes those horses that show a good turn of foot over a mile, they don’t always show it when they get out over further.
“Today he did what he needed to do.”
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