Promising gelding Ostraka is back in work and ready for an exciting autumn campaign, with trainer Annabel Neasham targeting sprint trips for the four-year-old.
The Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) is among the many options under consideration.
Ostraka impressed last year, stringing together four consecutive victories from June to October, culminating in a victory in the $1 million Silver Eagle (1300m).
However, his subsequent 13th-place finish in the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) highlighted the gelding’s limitations over longer distances.
Neasham, who trains Ostraka alongside Rob Archibald, believes the 1500-metre race was too far for him.
“He went to a new level last campaign and we learned more about him,” Neasham said.
“He’s a really big horse now and you can certainly see that the physical improvement translated on the track.
“We stretched him out to 1500 metres in the Golden Eagle and he wasn’t as effective as he was over the shorter trips, so we’ll probably keep him to the sprint distances.
“Anything from 1100 metres to 1400 metres is ideal.”
With many of Ostraka’s owners based in Melbourne, Neasham is also keen to explore the options down south.
“I know a lot of the ownership group are in Melbourne so I’m certainly keen to have a look down there – we could even look at the Newmarket with him.
“He’s a very exciting sprinter.”
Ostraka is listed as a $26 winning chance with horse racing bookmakers for the Newmarket Handicap.
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