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Fully Lit Earns Chance To Climb Tulloch Lodge Ladder
It's the inevitable question – where does Inglis Millennium winner Fully Lit stack up among the embarrassment of riches Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have in their two-year-old stocks this season?
Adrian Bott was typically diplomatic but said Fully Lit deserves his chance to be aimed at one of the big two-year-old Group 1s, be it the Golden Slipper or Blue Diamond, on the back of a gutsy performance in the $2 million feature.
"He's certainly going in the right direction, that's for sure. Obviously it was a restricted race today so we'll sort of look at the options, whether we do tempt a Blue Diamond,'' Bott said.
"We kept him in calculations there. He may stay here in one of the Slipper lead-ups, just keep him at home and look at one of those lead-ups and give him that opportunity to see how he does stack up against the grade.
"Because every time we've raised the bar he's responded in a big way."
Fully Lit, now $21 in TAB's Golden Slipper market, handed Tulloch Lodge its 16th two-year-old win for the season and gave them a third win in a $1 million plus race following Shangri La Express's Golden Gift and Storm Boy's Magic Millions.
Storm Boy is set to trial this Thursday and will have his sole Slipper lead up in the Skyline Stakes. Tulloch Lodge also has Breeders' Plate winner Espionage and runner-up Straight Charge, along with Shangri La Express, still to be rolled out.
Williams Wants Championships Ratings Boost For Rock
It's rare a trainer will want a handicapper to be harsh on their horse for a win but trainer Danny Williams would love it if Atmospheric Rock is slapped with a decent ratings hike for his overdue Highway win at Randwick.
Williams is keen to run the four-year-old next in the $150,000 Newhaven Park South East Country Championships (1425m) at Moruya on March 3. He had a 62 rating prior to recording his second win and it's widely held you need around 70 to ensure a start.
So that leaves Williams in an interesting position but he has a back up plan of another Highway over 1400m in two weeks, eight days before the Moruya race.
"We'll wait and see what the handicapper does before determining whether he goes straight in or has one more run,'' Williams said.
"I'd like to run him third-up because he'd be a bit sharper and more fresh in himself and if he had to run in two weeks it might take that dash away from him.
"He's been an unlucky horse, he has the will to win but his racing style makes it difficult."
Atmospheric Rock firmed into $15 with TAB for the $1 million Newhaven Park Country Championships Final, on April 6, with stablemate Bandi's Boy at the top of betting at $8.
Williams said Bandi's Boy could run next week at Randwick but added his surprise first-up win has forced a bit of a reassessment of how to get him to Moruya.
Dale Eyes Galaxy Return For Front Page
Trainer Matthew Dale is convinced dual Kosciuszko winner Front Page is at his best in Sydney and has his sights set on the Galaxy as his big chance to win a Group 1.
The seven-year-old finished midfield behind Imperatriz a month after his Kosciuszko win and Dale said that confirmed to him he's just a rung or two below the very top level.
It's likely Front Page will trial on Thursday at Goulburn and have a second trial before Dale locks in whether the Galaxy is the race for him.
"He's just that couple of lengths shy of weight for age and he appears at his best Sydney wau and around a bend,'' Dale said.
"He's traditionally first-up at 1200m but it is a fast run 1100m so he'll either run there or the back up plan is the Star Kingdom (Group 3, 1200m) the week after.
"He had that stone bruise, it flared after the Kosciuszko. He was able to race in Melbourne but it's good we've been able to give him a good break and be on the front foot with him."
Dale said it's unlikely he'll have a runner in the Newhaven Park Country Championships in 2024 with his main hopeful Molly Nails heading for a break to be aimed at city races in the winter.
Neasham Star Finally Ready To Fly
Learning To Fly won't be vulnerable when she makes her long awaited return in next Saturday's Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) – that's the ominous warning from trainer Annabel Neasham after the filly stretched her legs at Randwick.
Last year's Inglis Millennium winner hasn't raced since she was injured when she lost her unbeaten record in the Golden Slipper and Neasham has taken her time getting her back to the track.
She worked with stablemate Libertad over 1000m, the pair running 1:01.31 for the trip with a last 600m of 35.29.
"I just wanted to give her an away day to get the nervous energy out of her before the Light Fingers,'' Neasham said.
"She's a fair bit further forward fitness wise than Libertad. It was a really nice bit of work from them both."
Libertad won his first three starts including the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes in the spring but failed in two subsequent starts.
Neasham said he will have a second barrier trial before a decision is made on a return race but she mentioned the Group 2 $1 million Arrowfield Sprint at The Star Championships as a target race.
"We haven't worked out where he goes yet, we'll see how he trials again,'' she said.
"He's come back big and strong and it will take a bit more getting fit."
Meanwhile, Chris Waller rolled out multiple Group 1 winner Fangirl along with star colt Militarize and import Buckaroo for exhibition gallops.
Fangirl and Buckaroo will resume in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) on Saturday week with Waller tossing up the Apollo or Hobartville Stakes a week later for Militarize.
"Today was just a fill in day to make sure they are fit and ready to go next week if we want to,'' Waller said.
