Tuesday, 26 June 2012: Perth trainer Gino Poletti has extended the Melbourne spring program he has mapped out for his gun four-year-old Luckygray to four races but it does not include the W.S. Cox Plate – for this year at least.
Luckygray, already a G1 winner of the Railway Stakes at Ascot last November – albeit on protest – raced into the Perth records at Belmont last Saturday when he won the G3 Hyperion Stakes for this third win four weeks.
The win made Luckygray the first horse to win Perth's winter treble of the G3 Roma Cup (1200m), G3 Belmont Sprint (1400m) and G3 Hyperion Stakes (1400m) and put the seal on Poletti's Melbourne plans for the imposing grey.
Poletti confirmed that
Luckygray 
is slated to have his next start in the $220,000 P B Lawrence Stakes (formerly the Liston Stakes) over 1400m at Caulfield on August 18.
"He will then tackle the Memsie Stakes, the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes and the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes," Poletti said.
"After that he will return to Perth for another Railway Stakes preparation."
Luckygray's Melbourne campaign has been extended from three 1400m races at Caulfield – the Lawrence, Memsie and Clarke Stakes – to include the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes over 1600m at Moonee Valley to give him experience at the course with a view to future.
Poletti's reasoning is to see how he handles Moonee Valley as he is contemplating a Cox Plate assault in 2013.
“We will just take each race as it comes and go across to Moonee Valley for the Dato Tan Chin Nam to give him a look at the track and to see how he handles it with an eye towards the Cox Plate the following year,: Poletti said.
Luckygray has never raced beyond 1800m, his only attempt at that trip resulting in a fifth behind Playing God in the G1 Kingston Town Classic at Ascot after he won the Railway Stakes in November.
Meanwhile Playing God's trainer Neville Parnham is planning to make only hit and run appearance with the in Melbourne this spring.
Parnham has his eyes on the $1 million Emirates Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on the last day of Melbourne Cup week on November 10 for the dual Kingston Town Classic winner in a departure from his previous lengthy Victorian campaigns.
Playing God had five Melbourne starts last spring for just one placing when third in the G1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. On other autumn visits he has been placed in the G1 Australian Guineas, G1 Australian Cup and G1 CF Orr Stakes.
Parnham says the Emirates wil servesd as Playing God's major lead-up to Railway Stakes, a third Kingston Town Classic and Cox Stakes at Ascot's summer carnival.
"The Emirates is two weeks before the Railway and it fits perfectly into his campaign," Parnham told th West Australian.
.
"We'll go there for only one major race and then concentrate on the big Perth stakes."
 | | Posted by Anonymous, on 3-7-2012 12:28:31 PM
Not ready? Don''t get me wrong, I think he''s a potential Eastern state Group One winner but very, very few, if any, horses are better at six than five, and many of those who do have good success as older horses were simply prevented from doing so at a younger age by injury, not because they magically improved from five to six. Niwot being a good example of that type of horse. ”
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| | Posted by Poindexter, on 1-7-2012 1:49:51 PM
Trust the Trainer...
Wot Ewe been blind as to Wot has been has going on in World Racing over the past 12 months+
SYT and the Irishman would be a good start
Again School children who have found their way onto an internet site after Mummy and Daddy have left them alone for a Hour ”
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| | Posted by hitman, on 1-7-2012 9:31:38 AM
i always question the perth form past a mile until they go to melb and do it. ”
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| | Posted by theking, on 29-6-2012 7:18:01 PM
Anonymous,
You said:
"The question is the class. Horses, however, don''t gain class between five and six.”
Have to disagree with you here on at least one example.
Although not a Cox Plate type horse RECKLESS certainly didnt show much "class" until he was at least an early 6yo when winning the VRC Hotham Handicap.
”
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| | Posted by Tom, on 29-6-2012 3:21:14 PM
Age has nothing to do with anything in a racehorse. Much the same as a human being.
There are some 2YOs that are more mentally mature than some 6YOs.
He may just think the horse isn''t ready for such a task, and would be better served next year.
I''ll trust the trainer''s judgement, not yours. ”
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| | Posted by baz, on 29-6-2012 2:01:08 PM
Winning group one races in Perth means nothing. What did Snipers Bullet win two years either side of his two group one wins in Perth, absolutely nothing. ”
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| | Posted by Anonymous, on 29-6-2012 9:08:10 AM
That was exactly my point! His profile at this stage is similar to Northerly''s - a lightly-raced winner of the Railway Stakes. The question is the class. Horses, however, don''t gain class between five and six. ”
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| | Posted by Poindexter, on 28-6-2012 2:53:04 PM
Cox Plate is the Pinnacle of Top Racing for Oz
Mooney Valley is a distinct course
Luckygray would not be rated within the Top 20 Racehorse''s within this country at this particular moment...
Lotta water to travel under the bridge until, he would be reguarded as a genuine/equal to - Eastern States WFA horse
Age is not a Factor,, Class is the Requirement
”
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| | Posted by Anonymous, on 28-6-2012 8:36:44 AM
Unlikely, in my view - Have a look at the ages of horses who have won the Cox Plate - most are five or under, and I''ve never heard of a horse intentionally missing the race at five and winning at six ”
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| | Posted by Poindexter, on 27-6-2012 5:02:27 PM
Derrr..... A Ninny Mouse..
How about, a year older, Bigger, Stronger, ??? ”
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| | Posted by Anonymous, on 26-6-2012 10:27:00 PM
Bizarre - if the horse isn''t good enough for this year''s Cox Plate, why would it be good enough for next year''s? ”
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