Chris Waller, while preparing Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) winner Riff Rocket for the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington, suggests that the talented gelding might excel at the shorter 1600-metre distance, despite his previous staying success.
The son of American Pharoah has showcased his versatility by winning both the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) and securing a victory in the Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) this campaign.
“It was an important stepping stone towards the Guineas and I just thought 1400 metres, with the penalty of being a Group 1 winner, he might find a few of those horses a bit sharper,” Waller explained to Racing.com,
“To see him let go at the 200 metres and pull away to some degree, or at least finish off as well as anything else in the race, if not better, was good to see going into a mile race second-up.”
Waller believes that Riff Rocket’s brilliance, which propelled him to victory in the Victoria Derby, might make him a sharper miler.
“I think his brilliance probably got him home in a Victoria Derby and we might just see on Saturday that he’s more a sharper miler.”
“If he is, then it opens up probably more races. If you go down the Derby route, you don’t have a lot of options really if you become that one-paced stayer.
“It’s a good problem to have, we know he can stay if we need him to, but I’d be more inclined to be targeting mile, 2000-metre races.”
Riff Rocket is a +135 favourite for the Australian Guineas with leading horse racing bookies.
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