Sunday, 21 March 2010:
Multiple Group One winner
El Segundo will target the Group One George Ryder Stakes after a mystifying first-up performance in the Newmarket Handicap earlier this month.
Trainer Colin Little said he had watched the Newmarket "100 times" and still could not make sense of the race in his efforts to understand how
El Segundo turned in arguably the worst run of his career.
"It was bizarre," Little said.
He said three-year-old Wanted had everything go against him yet he was still able to win without being challenged in traditional Newmarket style by the backmarkers.
El Segundo was always well back and didn't find the explosive finish which has been the trademark of his stellar career.
He was beaten eight lengths in the Newmarket, finishing 15th of the 19 runners.
"The winner led into a head wind, ran the last two furlongs (400m) in 24 seconds and got the money," Little said.
He said he had plenty of time for analysis during the post-race hail storm which flooded Flemington but was none the wiser.
"I was trapped in the owners' and trainers' bar like so many others during the hail and they kept replaying the Newmarket," Little said.
"I watched it 100 times and I still can't work it out."
Little said
El Segundo took no harm from the run which was his first start since finishing fourth to So You Think in the Cox Plate last October.
He said the George Ryder (1500m) at Rosehill on April 3 would decide whether
El Segundo's autumn campaign would be extended.
"It is hard to know what happened on the day but the horse pulled up well after the Newmarket," Little said.
"There is a lot of time and effort and money if we turn him out and start a spring campaign again so we will take him to the Ryder and see how we go.
"The horse seems quite good but we will take it one step at a time," Little said.
El Segundo has not won since he took out the 2007 Cox Plate after which he suffered an injured tendon and had more than a year off to recuperate.
