Back-to-back stakes wins for Recommendation
A step back up to the top level looks assured for Recommendation (4 g Shalaa – Adviso by Street Cry) after he made it back-to-back Group 3 wins in Saturday’s Bletchingly Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Caulfield.
The Ciaron Maher-trained four-year-old had run out a super impressive seven-length winner of the Sir John Monash Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) on his previous outing and was sent off the $1.40 favourite for Saturday’s 1200-metre event, again ridden by Blake Shinn.
As he did in the Sir John Monash, Recommendation led throughout in the Bletchingly Stakes and comfortably saw off Semillion (Shalaa) by 1.8 lengths with a further 0.2 lengths back to the third-placed Marble Nine (Kobayashi).
“He’s a really genuine horse,” the winning rider said. “I had some reservations coming into today at the 1200 [metres] if there was pressure applied.
“He ticked that box today and we were able to get a nice easy time in front. I was able to rate him around the bend and not push the button too early, therefore he ran the race out well.
“He was getting a little tired that last 50 [metres], but the run we had in transit helped him get the job done. He’s four now, about to turn five, and there’s some good races in him.
“He’s won the Bletchingly Stakes now and hopefully he can go to loftier heights.”
Maher’s assistant trainer Jack Turnbull pointed towards both the Bobbie Lewis Quality (Gr 2, 1200m) at Flemington in September and Manikato Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at The Valley later that month as potential targets for Recommendation.
“I just had a chat with Ciaron who has just landed in the UK, and he said he’s come back this time a better horse,” Turnbull said.
“He only had a short time out and the way he has prepared from that break, he’s in dynamite form, and it sets him up for a good spring, hopefully.
“Having that chat to Ciaron we might look to the Bobbie Lewis, given that he has won like that over six [furlongs] and maybe we plan ahead to a race like the Manikato if he was to run another figure like he did last start.
“We could give him a breather, if we want. He won’t go out for too long, so he’ll keep that residual fitness and then fire up again.”