Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young may have lost one of stables more promising gallopers to Hong Kong but the team is hopeful the next generation can fill that void, starting at Flemington on Saturday.
Summaroca (NZ) (El Roca) arrived in Hong Kong on Monday night as part of the latest Australian shipment, with the last start Flemington winner set to be trained by Manfred Man.
“He should be a nice horse up there, when he did win at Flemington he looked gone and really dug in,” co-trainer Natalie Young said of the El Rocca gelding, of whom the stable part-owned.
“Generally when they get to Hong Kong they are about three months from lining up.
“It was nice to get some good money for him and always good so our clients can reinvest.”
Summaroca won three of his six Australian starts, most recently at Flemington on May 15.
The stable will look to Headquarters on Saturday and hope one of their newly turned three-year-olds can step up to the mark when they saddle up three chances in the A$130,000 VRC Member Stuart Pettigrew Plate (1410m).
After being scratched from rain effected surfaces in the past week, Young said conditions would be key for Savabeel colt Forgot You (NZ), who was also amongst Tuesday’s nominations for the Caulfield Guineas, Cox Plate, Caulfield and Melbourne Cup’s on Tuesday.
“It’s a Soft 5 at the moment and we just didn’t want him on a heavy track and bottomed up first run back as we hope he can carry on through to the spring,” Young said.
“He has trialed up really well and galloped nicely this morning.
“We threw him in the deep end in Sydney after I thought he was a but unlucky in the Sires and flew home but he had probably had enough.
“He has had two jump outs under his belt and probably has got the most quality about him.”
Craig Newitt has elected to stick with last start maiden winner Shadow Hawk (NZ), who like Forgot You is also a son of Savabeel, but has drawn the outside barrier of twelve starters.
“He beat the hot favourite the other day at Warracknabeal and probably just got lost at his first start,” Young said.
“We galloped him in blinkers and are going to put them on Saturday and that way if he doesn’t have the early speed he should still be up there.
“It’s generally a good gear change for the Savabeel’s, he is a horse that doesn’t do much at home so we’re not too worried about that… he could be more a Derby horse in time.”
