Sebring 將會參加1月9日或者1月16日的試閘

A new set of Melbourne race plans have been drawn up for Golden Slipper Stakes winner Sebring with a start in the Group One Lightning Stakes at Flemington on January 31 now an unlikely inclusion.

Trainer Gai Waterhouse believes the $500,000 Lightning Stakes (1000m), featuring such big names as Weekend Hussler and Apache Cat, will come too soon as a first-up assignment for Sebring due to his gross condition since he returned to training.

She is now looking at holding him back for a first-up tilt at the Group One $400,000 Oakleigh Plate over 1100m at Caulfield on February 21.

Sebring missed the spring carnival after an early training setback but has been in work at Randwick for more than a month and is close to having his first barrier trial in the next two weeks.

“Gai has the option of giving Sebring a trial at Rosehill on January 9 or Randwick on January 16,” said stable representative Jane Abercrombie.

“She wants to give Sebring two trials in Sydney before he resumes and her thinking is the Lightning Stakes will now come up too soon for him.

“Sebring has really developed and put on a lot of condition while spelling so she now thinks the extra couple weeks to the Oakleigh Plate will be to his advantage.”

Sebring, last season's champion 2YO, missed the spring after suffering bruising to a cannon bone in August.

The setback was a blow to Widden Stud, which secured control of the colt for more than $30 million after he won the Golden Slipper and G1 AJC Sires' Produce Stakes before he suffered his first loss in six starts when Samantha Miss bat him in G1 Champagne Stakes at Randwick in April.

Widden is keen to see Sebring win at Group One level as a 3YO before he starts his stud career next spring with the Melbourne carnival offering a range of ideal races for the colt, including the $1 million Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on March 7.

The Sydney carnival could see him step up in distance for the G1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill and G1 All-Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick while the G1 Brisbane treble of the BTC Cup, Doomben Ten Thousand and Stradbroke Handicap could also be considered before he retires.

Waterhouse has her dual G1 winner Theseo set to race in Melbourne where his target will be the $1 million Australian Cup at Flemington on March 7.

Abercrombie said Theseo is down to trial at Rosehill on January 9 and he will have a second Sydney trial before he is sent to Melbourne.

Melbourne is not on the agenda for Tuesday Joy this autumn with the mare likely to start her campaign in the Apollo Stakes at Rosehill on February 21.

Record breaking sprinter Northern Meteor is also in work but Waterhouse is yet to confirm her trial and race plans for the brilliant speedster.

She is also working out race plans for Seventh Reason, the record priced Sadler's Wells-Sunday Joy three-year-old who has raced just once for a second on the Kensington track at Randwick in September.

He has performed keenly in two recent Randwick trials, finishing second in a 1050m heat on December 16 and scoring a soft win in a 1200m heat last Tuesday.

Waterhouse has a big opinion of Seventh Reason, commenting that the break since his first race was “exactly what he needed”, and believes he will be a top contender for the AJC Derby at Randwick in April.

Theseo 則跑3月7日的澳洲杯，Tuesday Joy 仲跑 :ccc: :ccc:  退役配種好過