Trent Busuttin assesses the Melbourne midweek program as a crucial day for his three Victoria Derby aspirants, who will all be in action at Flemington.
Two of them, Clinched and Wertheimer, are in the Victoria Derby Trial (1800m) and his top seed Albarado will run in the 1400m benchmark 64 event for three-year-olds.
Busuttin is most looking forward to seeing Albarado after scratching him from a race at Caulfield on Saturday due to a “slight hiccup”.
Albarado has had three starts for a debut win over 1200 metres at Ballarat, a second to Cherry Tortoni over 1420 metres at Flemington and a first-up third over 1200 metres at Mornington last start.
“He’s drawn a bit sticky in barrier eight and he’s got to carry the top weight of 61 kilos. He’ll go back with the plan to finish the race off quickly,” Busuttin said.
“If it all pans out he’ll be hard to beat.”
In the Derby Trial, Wertheimer has drawn barrier 16 and Clinched has drawn barrier two.
“I was really happy with Wertheimer’s run at Moonee Valley but he also had to start from an outside barrier,” Busuttin said.
“He’s a real Derby horse in the making but he’ll have to go back and work home as well.”
Wertheimer finished seventh and Clinched twelfth to Flash Flood over 1500m at Moonee Valley when both drew poorly.
“Clinched has drawn beautifully in barrier two and the big track and the 1800 metres will suit him,” Busuttin said.
Busuttin said Albarado, Wertheimer and Clinched would all run in the Super Impose Stakes (1800 metres) at Flemington on October 3.
Busuttin was pleased with Tagaloa’s sixth in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes as he said he didn’t get a great passage from his outside draw.
“We’ll carry on to the Caulfield Guineas and if he can get a soft draw and a good run, I couldn’t see why he wouldn’t be hard to beat,” Busuttin said.
Busuttin is looking forward to taking over the training of former French galloper Skyward who has won four of his seven starts.
He finished fourth in the Group Two Prix Foy (2400m) at Longchamp last Sunday behind the highly-regarded Anthony Van Dyck.
“He’s a very exciting horse,” Busuttin said.
“He might be struggling to get into the Caulfield Cup. I’ll train him as if he will get in but otherwise he’ll start in the Geelong Cup.”