The Kentuckiana Lodge team admit Republican Party could land anywhere in the Sires Stakes Sophomore Classic at Ashburton on Monday.
The Cran and Chrissie Dalgety trained colt will be out to go two places better than his brave third in his last outing in the Group One Flying Stakes at Addington.
Republican Party clashes with a similar field and again steps out alongside his stablemate Invitation Only, who ran a very respectable fifth in his first test at the elite level.
Republican looks one of the horses to beat in Monday’s race going by his class and his excellent last start second.
But just how driver Blair Orange goes about constructing a win after drawing the outside of the front line is something of a mystery, even to his trainers.
But they are hardly worried about it.
“Blair has got all the options in front of him and we don’t make a habit of telling him how to drive,” Cran said.
“He has won dozens more premierships than me, I don’t think I ever finished in the top half.”
“As everyone will have seen, the horse has plenty of gate speed, but he can definitely come from behind too.”
“In the six-horse field, it wouldn’t matter where he settled, because he is going to be about three lengths off them at max.”
“From there he is going to be closing off as good as anything, I would think.”
Republican Party is on a semi-quick back up out of the Flying Stakes with ten days between runs.
There is no concern in the Dalgety camp about the horse backing up.
“We are going week to week, but it is not Friday to Friday, which is good.”
“He knew he had had a run after Addington but he bounced through it nice and quickly.”
“His work certainly suggests he will be ready to go again on Monday.”
Invitation Only has landed a sweet draw in barrier 2 and hopes are high in the Dalgety camp that he can again run well.
“He was caught wide early and forced to sit parked in the Group One and I thought he fought on very well.”
“He is a horse on the up and up and we are hoping he can run well again.”
“The 1700m trip isn’t his pet distance, he is a rolling type better suited to going to war over a trip.”
“But if he can stay handy from the draw he is going to be a nice chance of running in the top 4.”
Carter Dalgety again links with Invitation Only on Monday.
Kentuckiana Lodge also starts Watermelon Sugar in the colts and geldings Sires Stakes Heat at Ashburton.
The two-year-old did well in his last start in Merlin’s Harness Million final, running on after getting well back from a tricky draw.
Unfortunately, Watermelon Sugar has copped another tough draw in barrier 14.
“The horse is super fit and well, but we have run into another tough draw,” Cran said.
“You could say it’s mission impossible from 14 over the 1700m at Ashburton.”
“But we have to hope some luck comes our way.”
“If it comes our way he is well up to competing.”
Rakanotta has raced honestly from tricky draws ahead of her start in race 11.
She’s sure to put in another honest shift on Monday.
“She’s fit and well, she just needs to be close to them because she is a big rolling type.”
“If she can land nice and handy she will give it her best.”
Carter also drives both Watermelon Sugar and Rakanotta.
