While co-trainer David Eustace was in a jubilant mood and dreaming of Royal Ascot campaign following Coolangatta’s thrilling victory in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes on Saturday, another Australian training partnership could well be formalising even earlier overseas travel plans with a March 25 date in Dubai being their point of focus.
That is the possible destination of the Leon and Troy Corstens trained The Astrologist, with Racing.com reporting that an invitation for The Astrologist to compete in the US$1.5 million Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint over 1200m at Meydan Racecourse has already been received.
While telling Racing.com that it was ‘”full steam ahead,” Troy Corstens did put the situation in perspective by adding, “It’s always lovely to have a horse that’s good enough to be able to even think about international racing,” … but … “obviously he’s got to run well in the Oakleigh Plate and the Newmarket. You wouldn’t go over if he’s going to run nineteenth, or wasn’t right.”
And therein lies the small print proviso.
“At this stage all we’ve locked in is the Oakleigh Plate, the Newmarket and Dubai and then we’re just going to see what happens after that,” Corstens told Racing.com.
We will all know more after Saturday when The Astrologist steps out in the Oakleigh Plate with the Newmarket on March 11 likely to give the final barometer reading on whether The Astrologist will indeed be Dubai bound.
While judgement has to be reserved, to some degree at least, with The Astrologist having last raced (and won) on December 22, on the positive side, a clean bill of health for The Astrologist, coupled with good performances moving forward could well bring that self-same Royal Ascot option that Eustace mentioned into play for The Astrologist team as well.
“(Royal Ascot) … That’d be unreal. It’s pie in the sky sort of stuff but it has definitely been discussed,” said Corstens.
The Astrologist is one of twenty-six nominations for Saturday’s $750 000, Group 1 Oakleigh Plate. He will bring a race record of eight wins, twelve minor placings into the race, fir which he has earned $2 136 890 in prize-money.