News

Guineas 'clash' a costly exercise

19th Apr 2011

The Daily Telegraph - Brent Zerafa - Tuesday, 19 April 2011

PUSHING the Gosford Guineas back a week will dent the quality of Hawkesbury's stand-alone Saturday meeting, with Sincero the first horse to be ruled out of the Hawkesbury Guineas.

Gosford was forced to shift its $250,000 race from last Sunday to Anzac Day due to heavy rain, which leaves only a five-day gap between the two three-year-old contests.

Wyong trainer Stephen Farley still plans to resume Sincero in the Gosford Guineas but his exciting galloper would have a barrier trial instead of racing at Hawkesbury before progressing to the Inglis Guineas (1600m) at Scone on May 14.

"The plan was to have two runs with a fortnight gap before we headed to Scone," he said. "But I'd say he will run at Gosford and then have a barrier trial before Scone.

"It is not ideal jumping from 1200m to a mile but I am not real keen on backing him up straight away into the race at Hawkesbury.

"I'll be nominating for Hawkesbury but he will only run there if the races get washed out at Gosford on Anzac Day."

Farley has been impressed by the progression of Sincero since his fruitful summer campaign, where he was unbeaten in four starts.

"It would have taken a pretty good horse to beat him in the Guineas considering how well he galloped this morning [yesterday]," he said. "He is still very sharp, I've kept him nice and fresh, he still has plenty of sprint in his legs."

Sincero is being aimed at competing during the Brisbane winter carnival but Farley is unsure whether he will stick to his own age group or be tested in open company in the Stradbroke.

"Once we get to Scone we will know whether he is looking for further or whether we bring him back in distance for the Stradbroke," he said.