In-form Naracoorte trainer Sue Murphy will try and continue a big Melbourne Cup week in Adelaide when Farooq tackles Saturday’s $100,000 Happy Trails Series Final (1400m) at Morphettville.
Murphy claimed Tuesday’s Skybeau Series Final with promising stayer Hasta La Fiorente, the stable on fire with four winners and a second from her past seven runners.
Murphy said Farooq had taken plenty of benefit fitness wise following his gritty win first-up when he was clearly underdone.
“He’s come along really good, he should be a lot fitter and lot more forward,’’ Murphy said.
Farooq will have to lug the top weight and carry 60.5kg and Murphy said she was unphased by the horse drawing wide around the tight turning Morphettville Parks circuit.
“The only disadvantage is the race being on the Parks,’’ Murphey added.
“I was hoping to draw wide where he can sit three or four deep and be comfortable, it will just be about how well he handles the track, hopefully he doesn’t get lost around the bends.
“He’s got plenty of weight, but he can carry that. He’s a big horse,’’ she said.
While enjoying a great run with her stable, Murphy is also excited about the impending return of stable star Hasta La War, who hasn’t raced since injuring himself on the eve of the Adelaide Cup earlier in the year.
The exciting stayer has won six of 11 starts, with four seconds, and hasn’t been seen at the races since he was narrowly beaten in the Listed Birthday Cup at Morphettville back in February.
Murphy was forced to abandon their Adelaide Cup campaign when the horse, who also won last year’s Skybeau Series Final, was found with a black spot on his tendon, but said he was progressing well and could return to racing in December.
“He’s been in work for some time,’’ Murphy said.
“He went into the track down here this week and was pretty full of himself,’’ she said.
Hasta La War underwent stem cell treatment and Murphy said the horse was ticking all the right boxes to get back for another tilt at the Adelaide Cup.
“He’s going well, we’ll get him scanned again later in the month and all going well he will hopefully be back at the races in December,’’ Murphy added.