Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj) will be seeking redemption when he heads to Sandown next month to contest the Gr.3 Victoria Handicap (1400m).
Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr were left scratching their heads following his uncustomary poor showing in last Saturday’s Gr.3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap (1400m) at Flemington.
The talented five-year-old gelding jumped the $3.20 favourite and looked to be one of the main chances in the run but eventually finished fifth.
“The wash-up is on face value there’s no excuses,” Roll The Dice Racing’s Rob Norton told Racing.com.
“There’s nothing wrong with him as such, we feel he had the run of the race but maybe he just didn’t let rip.
“It was a little bit warm out there on Saturday and with the races pushed back due to the jockey (fall) situation, maybe the track was starting to get quite firm, maybe he looked after himself a touch.
“We’ll push on to the race he won last year – the Victoria Handicap, Group 3 at Sandown, that’s the go for Ayrton.”
Ayrton was bred by Cambridge accountant Greg McCarthy, who remains in the ownership group after a private sale was negotiated by bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo after the horse finished second in his only trial in New Zealand at Te Teko for trainer Lauren Brennan.
The son of Iffraaj has gone on to win six and place in three of his 14 starts, including victory in the Gr.3 Gunsynd Classic (1600m) and last year’s Victoria Handicap.
