Auckland Guineas winner The Pendragon (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) is expected to make an altogether different impact at his second Australian start than he did at his first when he lines up to begin his spring campaign at Caulfield on Saturday.
The effects of a long campaign in New Zealand told on The Pendragon at his Australian debut in the Australian Guineas at Flemington in March and Anthony Feroce from the Mike Moroney and Glen Thompson stable said little notice should be taken from his 15th placing.
“He’d been up for quite a while in New Zealand but we took the gamble and brought him over for the Guineas, but he put in a tired run,” Feroce said.
“We sent him to the paddock for a nice break and he’s come back as we were hoping he would. He’s a pretty capable horse.”
The Pendragon’s previous campaign began in October last year and he raced through the summer, collecting three races including the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) on the way.
He then ran second in the Karaka Millions to the star filly Orchestral in January over 1600 metres before one last run for the campaign was confirmed for the Australian Guineas (1600m) in March,
While Feroce said the stable was confident The Pendragon had the talent to race at the top level, decisions are to come on which races he contests this spring.
The four-year-old is expected to give an indication when he resumes on Saturday at Caulfield in the listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m).
“We are still trying to work out whether he’s a sprinter or a miler as he’s shown himself to be very good at both,” he said.
“He goes first-up on Saturday and then we could take a path to the Golden Eagle or the Toorak (Handicap) or if he was sprinting well, he could end up in the big sprint (Champions Sprint) at the end of the carnival.
“His jump-outs have been good and we’re looking forward to him running well.”
The 2022 Melbourne Cup runner-up Emissary is also back in work after a lay-off that dates back to last year’s Caulfield Cup.
“He’s come back brilliant,” Feroce said of the eight-year-old.
“He’ll take a run or two to get to his best but we’re very happy how he’s shaping up. He’ll be nominated for the (Melbourne) Cup but his first two runs will dictate whether we go that way or something like a Sandown Classic.
“That’s the great thing about the spring as there’s a lot of options for a horse like him.”
