Autumn is Peltzer’s time to step out from the shadows
So You Think colt set to resume in the Eskimo Prince Stakes on his favoured Randwick track
The hype around three-year-olds whose stud careers have already been sewn up may have Eskimo Prince Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) contender Peltzer (So You Think) flying under the radar, but Gerald Ryan wants to wait and see what his promising colt delivers on raceday before declaring him a stallion-in-waiting.
Peltzer was considered one of Sydney’s most promising three-year-olds last spring, locking horns with contemporaries Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon), Anders (Not A Single Doubt), King’s Legacy (Redoute’s Choice) and North Pacific (Brazen Beau), all of whom are assured of a place at stud.
A son of versatile Coolmore stallion So You Think (High Chaparral), Peltzer closed out his last campaign with victories in the Stan Fox Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) and the $1 million Bondi Stakes (1600m), but it is this autumn where he will get the chance to stamp his own stud credentials.
Peltzer was fitted up for his 2021 return with a quiet barrier trial at Rosehill on January 15, finishing fourth over 900 metres. He won his last hit-out at his home course, coming a length clear over 1030 metres on January 27.
“He’s never been a great trial horse but he enjoyed his work last week. He lobbed there, travelled well, he quickened and he relaxed and he’s done well since,” Ryan, who trains Peltzer in partnership with Sterling Alexiou, told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“I will tell you after Saturday if he has improved as you can’t tell at home. I know he looks well, he is working well and he’s got weight on him, that’s all I can say. The rest you will find out on raceday.”
Peltzer could again clash with the Hawkes Racing-trained stablemates, Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Ole Kirk and runner-up North Pacific, as well as Global Quest (More Than Ready), who finished behind him in the Sydney three-year-old feature on September 26.
Ryan yesterday did point to a potential key factor in Peltzer’s Eskimo Prince chances, citing the fact that the race is being run at Randwick this year after previously being held at Warwick Farm.
“Interestingly, he’s had four runs at Randwick for four wins and he’s had three runs at Rosehill for a third, fourth and fifth, so he might be a better Randwick horse,” he said.
“At this stage, he will run in the Eskimo Prince, the Hobartville (at Rosehill) and the Randwick Guineas and we will decide after that if he pushes further (to the Rosehill Guineas) or sticks to the 1600-metre journeys.”
Stablemate The Face (Rubick), a last-start winner at Randwick in Benchmark 78 grade, is also slated to run in the Eskimo Prince and Ryan believes the gelding has plenty of attributes to suggest he is a genuine stakes-class short-course horse.
“He’s an on-pacer, he goes on wet or dry, and he travels well,” the Rosehill-based trainer said.
“He will run in this race and then we will bring him back later in the carnival because I wouldn’t want to be trying him at 1400 metres just yet (in the Hobartville).
“There’s a couple of good sprint races for three-year-olds later in the carnival if he measures up to them. There’s the (Arrowfield 3YO Sprint) where we could aim him at and there’s the Fireball in early March over 1100 metres as well.”
The Face has tactical speed and led when winning last start under James Innes jnr, but Ryan is not steadfast in suggesting the three-year-old necessarily has to take up the running.
“He gets up on the speed and he travels, but when he won his maiden (at Gosford) he sat outside the leader and he did the same in the Gosford Guineas,” he said.
“He led the other day because there was no speed and he drew underneath them, but I don’t think you necessarily have to lead on him.”
Innes jnr will retain the ride on The Face, while Tim Clark will partner Peltzer in the Eskimo Prince.
Ryan and Alexiou will also unveil a two-year-old Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) colt in Nasdaq Dubai for Emirates Park on Saturday, whose racecourse stocks appear plentiful at present after Enthaar (Written Tycoon) carried their green and white sash and cap to victory when maintaining her unbeaten record in last Saturday’s Chairman’s Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) at Caulfield.
Nasdaq Dubai, a homebred half-brother to the Listed-placed and Emirates Park-owned Tell Me (Choisir), and the fifth foal out of Sweet Little Lies (Elusive Quality), is nominated for the Darley Lonhro Plate (Listed, 1000m), a race which attracted 27 entries yesterday.
The juvenile won his only barrier trial at Rosehill on January 27 when showing speed to lead the 896-metre heat and Ryan has no qualms about the horse’s inexperience heading into Saturday’s $140,000 race.
“Until he trialled I was a bit worried that he might have only been a speed horse, but he relaxed well the other day in front and he quickened off it. He trialled well and I was quite happy,” the often understated Ryan said.
“He has always shown ability right from the start. He’s not a very big horse. He’s tall, but he hasn’t filled into his frame yet, so he’s a nice enough horse (who will develop).”
As for heading into the Lonhro Plate off one trial, Ryan added: “He’s a naturally fast horse and they don’t need too many trials and he’s had three jump outs prior to trialling because he wasn’t named until the week before he trialled.
“We were never in a great hurry with him.”