Busuttin has Blind faith in talented 3YO colt

MELBOURNE – Trent Busuttin knows, if chasing a Group 1 win was the priority with Blind Raise, the smart thing to do would be to send him to Sydney for the A$2 million (S$1.78 million) Spring Champion Stakes on Oct 24.

But he also knows the opportunity he has been presented with this year does not come around that often.

Hence, the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1,600m) runner-up, whom he trains in partnership with Natalie Young, will run in this Saturday’s A$6 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2,040m).

A four-time winner who has yet to win at Group 1 level, the son of Ace High would most likely start a hot favourite in the Spring Champion Stakes (2,000m) at Randwick, but he will instead renew hostilities with his Guineas conqueror Warwoven at Flemington.

The Cox Plate – one of Australia’s Grand Slam, the other three being the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and Golden Slipper – is this year exceptionally staged at Flemington, with its traditional venue at Moonee Valley currently undergoing a major redevelopment.

“The sensible thing would have been to go up to Sydney for the $2 million race, but you very rarely get a genuine live chance in a Cox Plate,” said Busuttin, who assisted his father Paddy when they trained at Kranji in the 2000s.

“I think they’ve got him at 10-1, he is a genuine chance in it, so you’ve got to have a go.”

The Caulfield Guineas on Oct 10 was just the sixth start, and first beyond 1,400m, for Blind Raise but Busuttin knew the day after the race he had taken little harm from it and has been delighted with his work since.

“It was obviously a hard race last week but he came home and he ate everything, licked the feed bin clean, trotted out free in the morning,” said Busuttin.

“We took him for a walk and he was squealing and carrying on, then got in the roll box and carried on.

“So it was pretty safe that he’d come through it good and then he galloped Saturday morning and galloped up very, very good.”

Blind Raise and the Bjorn Baker-trained Warwoven – who will each carry 49.5kg in the Cox Plate, with Jamie Melham to ride Blind Raise – are out to become the first three-year-olds since Shamus Award in 2013 to win Australia’s weight-for-age championship.

Established stars like Sir Delius, Aeliana and Birdman are confirmed, while a decision on whether beaten Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2,400m) favourite Cosmic Crusader backs up will be made on Oct 20.

Ceolwulf is likely to back-up after his Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1,600m) second to Autumn Glow on Oct 17, with trainer Joseph Pride keen not to pass up the golden opportunity to fulfil a lifelong dream.

“I’m really happy with Ceolwulf after Randwick and at this stage we are accepting tomorrow,’’ said Pride. “This is a chance to fulfil that dream of winning the Cox Plate, it’s the race I’ve always wanted to win.

“When I was growing up, the Cox Plate was always won by the best horses and it’s why they call it Australia’s weight-for-age championship.’’

Meanwhile, fillies Global Goal and Proxima Dea head the betting for the Spring Champion Stakes, which on the morning of Oct 19 attracted 11 entries, including the Chris Waller-trained colts Stormy Marco, Diameter, Central Europe and Wonka.

The field for the Cox Plate will be finalised on the night of Oct 20, when barriers are drawn at a function in Melbourne.