Over the next two Saturdays, Dom Sutton will be in a better position to ascertain whether his exciting three-year-old geldings Detroit City and Feroce (NZ) ( Super Seth) can continue towards their potential spring goal of the Caulfield Guineas.
The Ballarat-based trainer’s undefeated Detroit City will return to the same track and distance which provided him with his last-start victory when he contests the Exford Plate at Flemington on Saturday, while a week later Feroce will contest the Caulfield Guineas Prelude.
Sutton said races such as the Exford Plate are events which showcase one way or the other whether a three-year-old is up to the required standard for next month’s Caulfield Guineas.
“It’s a good field with horses that have got big aspirations going deeper into the spring, so it will tell us where we fit into the picture,” Sutton said.
“We’re going up to Stakes level and we’re taking on horses like Daggers and Wonder Boy.
“You’ve got the Caulfield Guineas in the back of your mind, but you have to keep taking the right steps to warrant running in it. So, if he takes the next step and goes close to winning, which is what we want to see, we will head to the Caulfield Guineas and he will have another run before it.”
Detroit City hasn’t started since he won over 1410 metres at Flemington on August 3 but finish second in a 1000-metre trial at Stawell on August 27.
“He’s been kept up to the mark and had a couple of nice pieces of work at home on the course proper since,” he said.
Feroce was held up for a run for the entire straight when he finished seventh at Caulfield in the McNeil Stakes and Sutton saw enough in the effort to push on towards the Caulfield Guineas.
“It was pretty much a track gallop. He went to the line hard held and I think if he had got clear air he would have run a place, so I think he’s definitely in the mix with some of the better three-year-olds in Victoria,” he said.
