Symon Wilde is daring to dream with Tralee Rose (NZ) (Tavistock) this spring.
The Warrnambool trainer has nominated the daughter of Tavistock for both the Gr.1 Caulfield (2400m) and Gr.1 Melbourne Cups (3200m), and while he admits they are lofty targets, he doesn’t want to die wondering with the mare he part-owns.
“We are going to try and tailor a programme to get towards the Melbourne Cup and if we come up short there are plenty of other options for her,” Wilde told SENtrack.
“We are going to give it a real shot with her and who knows, she might be able to make that necessary improvement to have her in the mix in a race like the Bart Cummings (Gr.3, 2500m).”
Tralee Rose takes a strong formline into spring, having won five of her 11 starts, and placing in three others.
Her career highlights came earlier this year when she won the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) at Flemington on New Year’s Day and the Gr.3 Lord Reims Stakes (2600m) at Morphettville a month later.
While pleased with those results, Wilde said she will need to have improved to be competitive in the spring features.
“We are under no illusions – she beat off-season fields,” Wilde said. “She did it well, but she does have to make that next step.
“It is unusual to say a five-year-old is still improving, but she has finally matured so I think we will see the best of her now.
“We are dreaming at the moment and the reality is that she might not be good enough.”
Her first major assignment will likely be the Bart Cummings at Flemington in October, but she may have a few stakes runs in the lead-up.
“We are trying to work out a programme around the Bart Cummings so we are not quite sure how many runs we will have into that,” Wilde said.
“The Heatherlie (Listed, 1700m) and Naturalism (Gr.3, 2000m) are the usual pathways into something like the Bart Cummings.”
Wilde has been pleased with her progess so far this preparation.
“We are really happy with her,” he said. “She has come in a bit bigger and stronger. I did always think that she would keep on improving and this spring would be her best.
“She has done about six weeks and she had her first little bit of fast work earlier in the week and we couldn’t have been happier with the way she went.
“You have really got to get that foundation for her. That’s the key to it – laying a really good solid base and then not over-race her or race her into fitness, we would rather have her pretty forward and fit, and race her at her best distances – 2000m and above.”
Wilde said Warrnambool has experienced a wetter winter than normal and he is hoping for drier conditions in the next month to assist their preparation towards spring racing.
“The next month will tell a tale,” he said. “It has been quite difficult to get grass gallops in this area, which hasn’t impacted us too much yet, but we do need things to dry out over the next two or three weeks because we will be putting the acid on her a bit more and that will help shape where we go.”
Tralee Rose was purchased by Cameron Cooke Bloodstock for $50,000 out of the Cambridge Stud draft at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
