Property out to make up for late start in Caulfield Sprint

Brad Waters - Thursday October 19

A late start to the spring means smart three-year-old Property must take on the older horses in Saturday's Group I Caulfield Sprint (1000m).

Property scoring at Caulfield during his two-year-old season. Photo: Darryl Sherer

Property impressed during his two-year-old season with three wins from five starts, including a pair of Group III successes, but the son of Starcraft sustained an injury that required a period of rest.

"He had a long spell because of a tibial stress fracture in a hind leg," Property's trainer Robert Smerdon said.

"They heal well and they do well but he needed time and that meant he came on the scene later."

The setback kept Property out of the early three-year-old sprints such as the Vain and McNeil Stakes over 1100m and Smerdon said the 1200m of Wednesday's Blue Sapphire Stakes wasn't a suitable first-up trip for the gelding.

"They don't really cater for sprinting three-year-olds right now. Early in the spring they do but all of a sudden they have got to run a mile," Smerdon said.

"In an ideal world he would have gone into the Blue Sapphire but he wasn't ready, or I didn't think he was anyway, so he has got to kick up against the older horses.

"The 1000m is why he's running in that race on Saturday."

Property won a trial at Cranbourne on October 9, which followed jumpouts on three consecutive Tuesdays in September, to have the promising galloper ready for the first of two starts in his spring campaign.

"His trials and jumpouts have been terrific, really good. (Jockey) Craig (Williams) has been really happy with him," Smerdon said.

"If he runs well enough, he'll go to the Coolmore but if he doesn't, he'll go to a 1000m race down the straight during the carnival."

Property has firmed from $4.60 to $4.20 in Sportsbet's early market on the Caufield Sprint in which the Henry Dywer-trained Snitty Kitty is a $4 favourite after opening at $4.50.

Sydney mare Super Too is next best in betting on the $200,000 race at $4.80.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Te Akau Chasing Another Cup Day Success
Last year’s Melbourne Cup Day concluded in success for Mark Walker in the Gr.3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m), a race he will chase back-to-back crowns in on Tuesday with Kiwi mare Quintessa.
Zoustar 6YO Stepping up to 2000m
Pre-post favourite Habana will head into unfamiliar territory at Ellerslie, but there is confidence in his camp that it will be a smooth transition.
Sires With Winners - Monday November 4
Here is the full list of 21 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Kiwi Longshot Hope for Cup
Grant Cooksley came tantalisingly close to getting his hands on the Melbourne Cup as a jockey, and he is hoping to rectify that on Tuesday as a trainer when he lines-up Trust In You in the two-mile feature.
Will it be a fairytale finish for Tasmanian-bred mare The Map?
Fresh from sweeping the sire awards at the 2024 Tasmanian Racing Awards this season, the Armidale Stud team is in line for another significant achievement with The Map (Alpine Eagle x This Moment) flying the flag for resident stallion Alpine Eagle in the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup on Tuesday 5 November.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
Two heats at the Rosehill trials on Monday morning over 900m and the quickest of those was won by an expensive son of Golden Slipper winning first season sire Farnan.
Melbourne Cup Tips – Tara Talks Racing
Tara Talks Racing is now online having had a Sunday arvo drink or two as we go through the Cup horses, so what do Clocker and I like for this year’s Melbourne Cup?
Kiwi Grey Targets Subzero on Cup Day
The Subzero Handicap (1400m), a race solely for registered grey thoroughbreds, has proven to be a fan favourite at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, and this year, Kiwis will have their own grey to barrack for.
Antrim Coast to Fly Flag for The Oaks Stud
The well-renowned colours of The Oaks Stud will feature across two feature Trans-Tasman meetings this week, kicking off with Antrim Coast lining up in the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.
Bellatrix Star May Back Up in G1 Champions Sprint
Te Akau and Fortuna Racing’s filly Bellatrix Star proved she is among Australia’s top sprinting three-year-olds last Saturday at Flemington, finishing second in the A$2 million Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).