News

Littorio back bigger and better and heading for Doncaster

12th Jan 2009

Racenet - Brad Waters - Monday, 12 January 2009

Flemington trainer Nigel Blackiston has his stable star Littorio back in the stable for an autumn campaign and says he is bigger and better than ever and on the path to the GI Doncaster Handicap over the famous Randwick mile at Easter.

Littorio had a gruelling campaign in the spring, culminating with a thirteenth placing in Viewed’s Melbourne Cup.

The highlight of the four-year-old’s campaign was his brilliant win in the Patinack Turnbull Stakes, beating Master O’Reilly, Cox Plate winner Maldivian and bursting the Weekend Hussler spring bubble in the process.

Blackiston has prescribed a much lighter autumn preparation for the son of Bellotto whom Blackiston said has managed to put some extra weight on an already imposing frame.

“He’s come back into the stable and he’s terrific,” Blackiston said.

“We’ve haven’t been able to weigh him yet but I would estimate that he would have put on 60 kilos in his time in the paddock, he’s done really well.

“He’ll only have two or three runs in the autumn but the plan at this stage is to take up to Sydney for the Doncaster.

“He’s raced well there in the past and with the class of horse that enters the race, he will get in fairly well at the weights, even though he’s a group one winner.”