Poland confirmed his trainer Mike Moroney’s lofty opinion of him and he’s now Australian Guineas bound after his tough first-up win in the Autumn Stakes.
Moroney said he had always held Poland in high-regard and he blamed himself for the colt’s only poor run which was in the Caulfield Guineas.
“I think he’s a very good horse. When I saw him parading on Caulfield Guineas Day, I knew he shouldn’t have been here, as he had come to the end of his campaign,” Moroney said.
“He’s come back, a big powerful bloke. He’s got a real future”.
Moroney said the Australian Guineas was the logical next start for Poland.
Poland continued the recent winning run of heavyweight jockey Jordan Childs.
Childs said he hoped there was going to be fast speed in the race so he was pleased when outsiders El Salto and Altai Ranger indulged in a battle for the lead and took up the ‘one-one’ spot behind them.
“He hit the front a bit early and I thought he floated a little bit, but he had a bit of class to get him over the line,” Childs said.
“I knew this bloke had a few gears up his sleeve. He’d been trialling very well. I know he’d been working well and it’s great to get a good win for Mike.”
Poland ($13) defeated Amish Boy ($3.80 fav) by a length with a nose away third It’sourtime ($7.50).
Star New Zealand mare Probabeel showed her class with her first-up win in the Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200 metres) and that she’s on track for the All-Star Mile.
Jamie Richards stable representative Brad Taylor said Probabeel would return to Caulfield on February 20 to contest the Futurity Stakes over 1400 metres which will be her final run before the All-Star Mile at The Valley on March 13.
