Calm Kheir not sweating on Perspiration’s preparation

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Owner eyeing up a tilt at Group 1 riches with his Heritage Stakes winner 

In recent seasons the Heritage Stakes (Listed, 1100m) has unearthed several Group 1 sprinters who are now performing at stud, and it would be no surprise if this year’s winner Perspiration (Too Darn Hot) were to continue that trend.

The talented colt downed hot favourite Gatsby’s (Snitzel) at Rosehill last Saturday to join Ozzmosis (Zoustar), Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) and Wild Ruler (Snitzel) on the Heritage Stakes honour roll.

That trio are all currently standing in the Hunter Valley and, given Too Darn Hot’s (Dubawi) resounding impact on the Australian breeding landscape, it would be little surprise if Perspiration – who races in the familiar navy blue and pale yellow colours of Ozzie Kheir – were to follow their lead.

Too Darn Hot topped the First Season Sires’ Premiership by both earnings and winners for Darley last season, thanks chiefly to the exploits of his multiple Group 1 winner Broadsiding, and while Perspiration is not yet in that top bracket of equine athletes, the manner of his slashing win from the back of the pack certainly turned heads.

The third foal produced by the Casino Prince (Flying Spur) mare Latitude, Perspiration was a $270,000 purchase from the Rosari Farm draft at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

He is a half-brother to The Reluctant Star (Epaulette), who was also bred by Gerard Nolan’s Rosari Farm and was sold to Hong Kong – where he races as Pakistan Legacy – after winning his first two starts at Geelong and Flemington for Ballarat-based trainer Tom Conlan.

Perspirations’ connections are now pondering whether to throw him in at the deep end and take on some crack colts in the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Flemington – a race both Home Affairs in 2021 and Ozzmosis (last year) won two starts after landing the Heritage Stakes.

Kheir, who races most of his horses in partnership with his friend and fellow racing fanatic John O’Neill, is happy to keep an open mind and allow master trainer Ciaron Maher to plot the best path forward with their progressive colt.

“We were confident he would run well on Saturday, but that confidence went out of the window when he missed the start,” Kheir told ANZ Bloodstock News.

“He had conditions to suit with a bit of give in the ground, but having said that to win the way he did was very, very encouraging. It’s difficult to know what level he can reach and how much improvement there is still to come with him, but we’re certainly very excited to find out.

“He came through the run really well, but we’ll let the dust settle further before making any decisions. I’ve been in the game long enough to know that reality can bite you pretty quickly after a good run, but we’re allowing ourselves to dream at this stage. As always, we’ll be guided mainly by Ciaron but we would be willing to aim high with him this spring if the team think he has the ability to step up to Group 1 level.

“What is for certain is that the Too Darn Hots are absolutely flying, I’ve always liked them so we’ll definitely be on the lookout for more at the sales next year. I actually bred one myself and unfortunately he didn’t turn out to be much good, but they’re generally doing very well so he now looks to be the exception not the rule.

“I’m sure his yearlings will be in high demand again and Perspiration is a lovely horse, so he looks to be a stallion in the making. But he would probably have to win a big race first to justify any talk about his prospects as a stallion.”

Kheir’s colours will be carried at Flemington this Saturday by Buckaroo (Fastnet Rock) in the Turnbull Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and by his Bart Cummings (Gr 3, 2500m) contender Saint George (Roaring Lion), who has a wide draw to overcome as he goes in search of a golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m).

Buckaroo, who was trained in Ireland by Joseph O’Brien before joining Chris Waller’s stable, has blossomed this spring and has firmly emerged as a weight-for-age force with back-to-back wins in the Chelmsford Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) and the Underwood Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m).

Given the dominance of his three-and-a-half length win in the Underwood under Joao Moreira, who resumes the partnership on Saturday, the step up to 2000 metres should play to the gelding’s strengths but Kheir is on weather watch in the build-up to the Flemington feature.

“Bukaroo has really turned his form around this prep,” said Kheir.

“We maybe had him pegged as a Group 3 or Group 2 horse before this campaign, but he’s improved so much that you could probably argue he’s in the top ten weight-for-age horses in the country on his current form. 

“He holds nominations for the Cox Plate and the cups so we’ll know a lot more about where we head next with him after Saturday, but he needs a bit of give in the ground to show his absolute best.

“I know the track at Caulfield in the Underwood was rated a Good 4, but it was probably verging on a soft surface so he enjoyed getting his toe in the ground. If it’s a very firm track at Flemington then he’ll be nowhere near as effective, but if we get a bit of rain heading into Saturday then I think he’ll be right in the race.”