3 minute read
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable are likely to concentrate on a restricted jumps race with two of the up-and-coming jumpers rather than the feature Australian Hurdle and Steeplechase at Sandown.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable is not expected to push their novice jumpers to the top level too early in the season, preferring to keep them to restricted competition for the time being.
With the next round of feature jumps races at Sandown on Sunday courtesy of the Australian Hurdle and Australian Steeplechase, both 3900m, Maher and Eustace may not have a runner in either event.
Maher and Eustace had two impressive maiden hurdle winners during the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival, but the pair are likely to run in the benchmark 120 hurdle over 3400m.
Mawaany Machine and Wil John look promising for jumps races ahead, but Eustace said the stable was not prepared to push them too hard at this stage.
Eustace said Saunter Boy would be entered for the Australian Hurdle, but a decision on whether he runs will not be made until later in the week.
Saunter Boy was sent off the $2.10 favourite in the feature hurdle of the Warrnambool carnival, the Galleywood Hurdle, before finishing fourth to The Statesman.
Saunter Boy did not respect his jumps and was given a schooling session at Cranbourne last Friday, winning a 2400m trial by six lengths.
"He had a bowl around on Friday and is a chance to run," Eustace said.
"He didn't jump very well at Warrnambool, so we'll have a bit of a think about it during the week whether we run him or not."
Eustace said Yensir and Bit Of A Lad, who finished fourth and fifth respectively behind Gold Medals in the Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m), needed more time to recover from the gruelling contest.
He said both horses would be back for steeplechase races later in the season.
"Unfortunately, these races come up a bit quick after Warrnambool," Eustace said.
"It would have been nice if they were a week later, three-and-a-half weeks rather than two-and-a-half weeks."
