Trainer Matthew Enright his hoping Christmas comes early when he heads to The Valley on Saturday with Wertheimer.
The five-year-old son of Tavistock finished fourth behind fellow Kiwi-bred and subsequent Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) placegetter High Emocean in the Gr.3 Bendigo Cup (2400m) in October and pleased with his fresh-up placing in the Werribee Cup (2000m) earlier this month.
He will step up to 2500m at The Valley this weekend and Enright is confident of a good showing with leading hoop Jamie Kah aboard.
“It (last start) was one of those runs where you got a bit more confidence out of him,” Enright told RSN.
“We had ridden him on the speed previously and he has got to the front and been run over. I was pleased to see him find the line.
“I have one of the best jockeys in the world on (this weekend). I would like to see him four or five lengths off the speed and try and get a drag into the race and hopefully save him for one last run.
“I have got great confidence that she (Kah) will give him a great ride and he will certainly be there at the end if she can do that.”
Wertheimer will be met in Saturday’s race by compatriot Botti, who has joined Patrick Payne’s barn after finishing runner-up in the Jericho Cup (4652m) for New Zealand trainer Kevin Myers.
“The Jerciho Cup was and ideal race for him and we got him really ready for it and I thought he went fantastic with the weight,” Payne said.
“There’s not much for him back in New Zealand, so we thought we would give him a few runs here.
“He is a nice, sound horse, so we will just find him some races on the flat and then freshen him up for wintertime.”
Looking ahead to Sandown on Boxing Day, Payne is looking forward to lining up New Zealand-breds Hard To Cross and Dunkel over 1800m.
Hard To Cross made it back-to-back wins at Sandown earlier this month and Payne is hoping to extend his winning streak to three on Monday.
“He had to earn his stripes (last start) with 60 kilos. He had to come out early and the second horse looked a chance of beating him, but he dug deep and fought hard,” Payne said.
“I loved the way he pinned his ears back in the last 50m. He is a nice horse for the future. He is still quite immature, he is not the finished product yet, I think he will keep improving with time.”
Stablemate Dunkel won on debut at The Valley in October before runner-up at Cranbourne last month and Payne is confident with his charge after a light freshen-up.
“It (break) has done him the world of good,” he said. “He is quite an athletic horse and I think coming back to 1800m, especially on the Sandown Hillside, should be ideal for him.”
