3 minute read

Improving youngster Gleneagles is far from the finished product but he has still managed to post a smart win at Hawkesbury.

A winter carnival campaign in Brisbane has been locked in for juvenile Gleneagles after he came from off the speed to take out the Clarendon Stakes at Hawkesbury. 

Ridden by Jason Collett, Gleneagles ($4) swooped late to claim the 1400 metre race by three-quarters of a length over Hoover Lucy ($2.50 fav) with Achira ($11) warming up down the outside to grab third. 

Previously trained in Victoria by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, Gleneagles has won his two starts since transferring to David Payne, who is keen to campaign him in Brisbane with a longer-term view to the Sydney spring. 

"I'm looking at a 1200 metre race at Doomben in two weeks (Champagne Classic) then the 1400 metre race at the same track (BRC Sires) at the end of the month,'' Payne said. 

"He does find the line strongly but I don't know about the 1600 metre race (J J Atkins). It will depend on how he does at his next two starts. 

"But I do know he is a colt with a lot of talent and he will only be better as a three-year-old. He is an ideal horse for a race like the Golden Rose.'' 

The Clarendon Stakes has a history of producing smart late-season two-year-olds, including Zoustar who won it in 2013 before going on to claim the BRC Sires' Produce and finish second in the Atkins.