With stable star Gytrash sidelined, Morphettville trainer Gordon Richards heads to Melbourne with a two-pronged second line in Saturday’s $200,000 Group 2 Rubiton Stakes at Caulfield.
Garner and Bold Star both resume in the 1100m feature that will ultimately shape their autumn campaigns.
The pair come off trial wins at Gawler and Richards is hoping they can take the required steps to contest at the top level in the coming months.
Garner ran the quickest time of the pair in their respective trials and on Saturday jumps from barrier two with Craig Williams to ride. Richards believes the horse may have taken the steps required to mix it with the best sprinters in Australia in his 2021 campaign.
“He may well have improved a little bit on last preparation,” Richards said.
“Instead of being a run below the really good ones, it would put him right up there with them. I’m hoping this will be his preparation.
“They both raced really well in the spring without a lot of luck. In his last run Garner knuckled at the start and was making good ground at the finish. He would have made it interesting if he’d jumped clean – and there are some big wraps on (race winner) Ancestry.”
Richards said a forward showing in the Rubiton would see the pair press on towards some of Victoria’s big sprints.
“The Oakleigh Plate is the obvious one and if everything is good, it’s on to the Newmarket,” Richards said.
“But you would need to have done something in the lead-up to genuinely earn a crack in a race like that.”
Bold Star jumps from barrier eight with Mark Zahra booked to ride.
The Rubiton will also see Kayla Crowther return to Melbourne to partner Shamino for the Phillip Stokes stable.
A win would cap a massive week for the talented rider, who claimed a second successive Dux of the SA Apprentice Academy at Morphettville on Monday night.
Crowther has won five from seven races aboard Shamino, including the Listed Manihi Stakes at Morphettville last April.
Back in Adelaide, Richards has three runners, including debutant Turfitt, who caught the eye in a recent Gawler barrier trial.
Richards said she had all the makings of a nice horse when she learns to put it all together.
“She’s shown a bit of ability,” Richards said.
“She still does a few things wrong, but she goes okay.”
Richards will keep Charossa at a mile and avoid rushing into stronger company at 2000m in the Birthday Cup, while Roselli Sting has his first crack at the 2000m distance, but in restricted company.
“He (Charossa) needed another run,” Richards said.
“It was a tough run the other day and I thought it would be too tough on him going straight into the Listed race.
“Roselli gives the indication he wants the 2000m (but) I’m not totally convinced – and he draws the outside.”
IMAGE: Garner (pictured) and stablemate Bold Star will contest the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.