Trainer Dom Sutton is planning to keep Gr.1 Australian Guineas winner Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) to races up to a mile during this year’s Spring Carnivals, with the rich Golden Eagle set to be his major target.
The three-year-old gelding is having a spell after finishing sixth in the Gr.1 Australian Cup at Flemington on March 29 in his first try over 2000m, which came against seasoned older horses at weight-for-age.
A runner-up in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas last spring, Feroce’s autumn preparation was highlighted by his win in the Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 1 – a first elite-level victory for both Sutton and Feroce.
“He went to the paddock last week,” Sutton said.
“He’s going to have a really nice break and try to get some good weather before it turns against us in Victoria.
“His grand target will be the Golden Eagle (in the spring). I’ll keep him at a mile for his spring four-year-old campaign and there’s a few nice races on the calendar for him.”
The Australian Cup was won by the Ciaron Maher-trained Light Infantry Man, in a field which included placegetters Deny Knowledge and Zardozi, along with unplaced runners of the calibre of Atishu, Pride Of Jenni and Attrition.
Sutton is confident Feroce will get 2000m in time, but with the carrot of a big prizemoney race like the Golden Eagle (1500m) for four-year-olds at Rosehill and other feature mile races on the racing program in spring, he is happy to stick to those options for now.
“It was an itch I really wanted to scratch seeing him at 2000m,” Sutton said, in regards to what he learned from the gelding’s Australian Cup mission.
“I do think he will be a 2000-metre horse at some point.
“Obviously it was hard to judge with the tempo that they went, but he’s just a bit brilliant at the moment, probably and he’s also shown that he’s a good miler.
“So we’ll keep him at a mile (in the spring) and there’s plenty of nice races.”