Arjay’s Flight(NZ) (Highly Recommended) will be out to keep his perfect record intact for new trainer Shaun Phelan when he heads to Trentham on Saturday to contest the Feilding Hotel 1600.
The six-year-old gelding has won both of his starts since transferring to the Cambridge horseman’s barn, winning first-up over 1400m at Taupo last month before repeating the result over a mile at Te Rapa.
He was set to return to the Hamilton track to shoot for a third successive win, however, those plans changed after the meeting was abandoned following safety concerns with the track.
Instead of staying closer to home and heading across the Kaimai Range to run at Tauranga on Saturday, Phelan has elected to head south to Trentham to gauge Arjay’s Flight’s propensity for travel.
“He was meant to race on Monday, but the races got called off. They moved the race to Tauranga and I thought we would go to Trentham with a view of maybe coming back there later on for some better races over summer,” Phelan said.
“This will be his first trip away, so we want to see how he handles it.
“Another week between races has been good for him because we have kept him fresh into those first two wins, and three weeks between runs is perfect.
“I think the long straight at Trentham is going to suit him. The Heavy track is a bit of a worry, but he has got Heavy track form, and he is up fit.”
Meanwhile, Phelan is looking forward to heading to Flemington next Tuesday to watch Hit The Road Jack contest the Australian Heritage Cup (2800m) on Melbourne Cup Day.
The eight-year-old gelding won seven starts for Phelan in New Zealand before he sent him over to Australia to test his talents as a jumper for Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde.
The son of Jakkalberry performed well over hurdles, winning his maiden at Warrnambool in July before adding two further placings to his jumping record.
Wilde then elected to try Hit The Road Jack back on the flat, lining him up in the Gr.3 Archer Stakes (2500m) at Flemington last month, where he was runner-up behind Point King. He repeated the result in the Listed R.M. Ansett Classic (2400m) at Mornington before finishing ninth in an unsuitably run Gr.3 Geelong Cup (2400m) last week.
“He sat outside the leader (in the Geelong Cup) and I was watching the whole race thinking ‘get going’,” Phelan said. “They sat and sprinted on the better track, where he probably needed to get going.
“Watching him through the line and after the line, he was still going, and he was one of the last to pull up in the Geelong Cup.”
Phelan has been rapt with the way Hit The Road Jack has performed in Australia, and he is looking forward to being trackside at Flemington to watch him compete on Tuesday.
“It has been amazing,” he said. “We sent him over to be a jumper and he is doing all of this. It is a big thrill for the syndicate.
“We are hoping for rain on the day, which can happen, but the 2800m is going to suit.”
