Sandhu has Lofty ambitions for Strike
Julius Sandhu’s stable star Lofty Strike (Snitzel) was denied his chance in the Blue Diamond Stakes as a juvenile, but the three-year-old colt is on the verge of giving the popular Cranbourne trainer his biggest day in racing in tomorrow’s Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
The talented colt, who won his first two starts leading into the Blue Diamond (Gr 1, 1200m), was controversially ruled out of the race by Racing Victoria stewards, who deemed him to be lame.
For Sandhu and Lofty Strike’s owner Paul Lofitis, redemption could come on Derby Day at Flemington in the $2 million Coolmore.
The purse would pale into insignificance if he was able to snare the contest, with major stallion farms certain to make astronomical offers to buy into the horse, himself a son of 2013 Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Overreach (Exceed And Excel).
Sandhu’s confidence in Lofty Strike was buoyed with his closing first-up third in the Blue Sapphire Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Caulfield on October 12, convincing the trainer his colt was on target for the Coolmore.
“He was super. He exceeded all my expectations. I was a bit edgy before the race obviously being a Heavy 10, his first time on that surface, he hadn’t raced for seven months and so the odds were stacked against him big time,” Sandhu said yesterday.
“The fact he turned the corner and came wide on a track that was marginally leader biased, to let down like that and look at one stage as though he might actually get close enough to challenge and put a space between him and fourth spot, I think everything from that run is just positive.”
Lofty Strike finished two and three-quarter lengths adrift of unbeaten Coolmore rival Grand Impact (Satono Aladdin) in the Group 3 contest.
“He didn’t handle the heavy track as well as one should, if you like, as his legs were spinning a bit but he came through the run without any issues, that’s the important thing,” he said.
“The benefit from that, other than the fact that he ran a great race, is from a fitness point of view he’s really tightened up.
“He felt the pinch in the last 50 metres on that surface after such a long break and he’s really tightened up and his gallops since have been very impressive.”
Importantly for the winning chances of Lofty Strike – a $23 chance in a market headed by In Secret (I Am Invincible) ($3.60), Jacquinot (Rubick) ($5) and Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) ($7.50) – he is already proven down the Flemington straight course, winning his first start over 1100 metres in January.
“It was one of the reasons I took him there because mentally he is a very, very strong horse, so I expected him to handle it, but Flemington is that kind of track that until it happens you don’t know,” Sandhu said.
“I took him there and he handled it with the professionalism that I thought he would. I am going into it with the same level of confidence that the track is not going to be a disadvantage.”
Flemington was rated as a Soft 7 last night and a drying surface would also be in Lofty Strike’s favour. The colt’s jockey, Jamie Mott, could course a path to the outside part of the track where the main chances Jacquinot (barrier 16), Best Of Bordeaux (Snitzel) (17), Buenos Noches (Supido) ($8) and Economics (Capitalist) (12) have drawn.
“My view would be that is probably what will end up happening (trying to get to the outside),” the trainer said of potential tactics.
“If the track is slow, which it looks like it’s going to be, then they will probably end up using the outside part of the (straight) track by the time it gets to that race.
“That said, the other fact is that it’s a Soft 6, not 8, and Flemington could hold up really well, so I don’t want to preempt what’s going to happen, but my gut feeling is they’ll get to the outside.”
As for the disappointment of missing a shot at the Blue Diamond with Lofty Strike, Sandhu has moved on.
“He’s gone through the ringer, he’s come out the other side and the scans are clean,” he said.
“They’ve passed him, Racing Victoria, and there’s nothing to see now. We don’t need to go through any more of that. He just has to go to the races and perform.”
If he does, Sandhu’s phone will be ringing hot with studmasters clamouring for a piece of his colt.