3 minute read

The Polytrack is the only dampener, but otherwise, the $75,000 Novice race (1200m) on Saturday is the perfect race for Infinite Wisdom, says trainer Stephen Gray.

The All Too Hard three-year-old won by making all on debut in a Restricted Maiden race over 1200m on turf on August 30.

Gray said the chestnut has come up nicely since, but he could not find a turf race for the St George Stable's Paul Hickman's new Magic Millions Yearling Sale buy.

Against his better judgement, he went for the Polytrack event, but the attractive purse was to Gray worth the gamble.

The New Zealander can only hope Infinite Wisdom will gun it the same way at the start and make a good fist of it again on the different surface.

"He's better on grass. I could have waited for another three weeks for such a race," he said.

"But he's fit and healthy, he has trained on, and the timing was all right. He's got a light weight, and I was fortunate to get Simon (Kok Wei Hoong) and shave another couple of kilos off.

"If he can't handle the Polytrack, then he can't win, but we've got to chase the money – take it while you can."

It was mainly Infinite Wisdom's bloodlines that put him in good stead for his purchase at A$70,000. He is related to a good horse called King Raedwald, a New Zealand four-time winner raced by Hickman, through their dam side relations to the great Circles Of Gold, mother of Australian greats Elvstroem and Haradasun.

Going on his debut win and if genes don't lie, Gray is confident Infinite Wisdom can carry the red St George cross to a few more victories down the road, and why not at the elite level one day.

"He is a very promising horse and he can get further. We're looking at the 3YO race at the end of the year," he said in reference to the Group 3 Singapore Golden Horseshoe (1200m) on December 5.

"He's a big strong horse and he has done all right since he's been with us. Last time he led from a bad draw (10), he has drawn better this time (five), but we'll ride him where he jumps.

"It depends on his start, though. He's been naughty in the gates, hopefully he settles down better.

"There are a couple of nice horses in this race like Mike's (Clements) pair (Saturday and Tuesday). Hopefully, he can measure up to those.

"At his first race, he was sharp, he zoomed up and got to the line. I hope it won't be too sharp for him on the Polytrack, we'll see."

On the handicaps on Monday, Gray had another St George ward on the list, Commodore, but he eventually scratched the Per Incanto four-year-old.

"We didn't want to run the two together," said Gray.

"Commodore has had a couple of hard races. He had two wet tracks and one bad barrier draw.

"We'll wait for another maiden race for him, probably next month."