Scallopini in ‘career-best form’ ahead of Bletchingly Stakes

Scallopini will kick off his Melbourne campaign in Saturday’s feature race at Caulfield, the Bletchingly Stakes (1200m).

The seven-year-old gelding has race fitness on his side following a successful, yet frustrating, Brisbane Winter Carnival, where he ran second in the Victory Stakes first-up before running well in the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) and The Wayne Wilson (1600m).

The Steve O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted-trained galloper arrived in Melbourne on Tuesday night with stablemate Shooting For Gold, who lines up in the Group 3 Aurie’s Star (1200m) at Flemington on August 6.

While Shooting For Gold gets a couple of weeks to settle in to his new Melbourne base, Scallopini will be right into the action as he lines up on Saturday in a suitable race for him.

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“It looks a really nice race,” co-trainer Hoysted told HorseBetting.

“There’s still a couple of handy-enough horses, but we sort of come in with a bit of race fitness.

“Obviously racing through the winter – that was sort of the whole idea of heading down for the early spring, being able to tackle a couple of these races before some of the big guns are up and firing.”

Both Scallopini and Shooting For Gold completed their final anti-clockwork gallop at Eagle Farm on Tuesday afternoon before departing, so Hoysted is confident their stable stalwart will be able to adapt to the change in direction well.

Hoysted said that while it will be “different under race conditions”, Scallopini has shown positive signs to running the Melbourne way.

“The couple of pieces of work reverse that we’ve been able to give him have been good – he’s seems very comfortable on his Melbourne leg,” he said.

“That’s going to be a bit different under race conditions, but I think he’s showing all the signs that he’ll be able to adapt to that quite well.

“We’re really looking forward to giving him his opportunity down there as he’s definitely in career-best form, so it well and truly warrants his chance anyway.”

Scallopini missed out on a run in the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) – Queensland’s premier race – after being first emergency, so connections are hoping to see him line up in Group 1 company this spring.

Following Saturday’s task, the P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) is on the agenda, with that run to determine whether or not the son of Snitzel continues on to the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m).

“After the Bletchingly, he’ll head to the P.B. Lawrence and on the back of that we can determine whether he’s to go there (Memsie Stakes),” Hoysted said.

“If he was to come out and win on Saturday, we could genuinely think of a race like a Memsie – that’s definitely there, it’s going to be a pretty hot race, it generally always is – but we just want to see how he goes first before we really lock into any set plans.”

Scallopini is set to jump from barrier five in Saturday’s Group 3 event, with champion hoop Damien Oliver booked to ride.

The $650,000 earner is a $10 chance in the Bletchingly with online bookmakers.

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