Mathew Ellerton could not be happier with the way Solicit spelled, but that hasn’t helped the Flemington trainer work out what to do with her this Spring Racing Carnival, reports Brad Bishop at Racing Victoria.
Ellerton and his training partner Simon Zahra remain unsure of what path to take with Solicit - give her a crack at the $3 million Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) and the $3 million Caulfield Cup (2400m), or restrict her to races up to 1600 metres?
“We don’t know whether she’s a bit too brilliant to step up in distance in the spring or whether we should keep her to that sprinter/miler distance and target the Sir Rupert Clarke and the Myer,” Ellerton said.
“She’s a Group 2 winner over 1400, but she’s Group 1-placed over 2000 and a mile-and-a-quarter, so we just don’t know yet.”
The $400,000 Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) will be run at Caulfield on 28 September with the $500,000 Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington on 1 November.
Solicit has not raced since finishing last in the Group 1 Queen of the Turf (1600m) at Randwick on 19 April, which followed a second placing in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.
Earlier in the campaign she won the Group 2 Kewney Stakes (1400m) at Flemington, which was her first start since finishing third – beaten a half-neck – in the Group 1 VRC Crown Oaks (2500m).
Whichever way they do go, Ellerton is confident Solicit will have a lucrative spring with the rising four-year-old who is in pre-training at owner David Moodie’s Woodend property and will return to Flemington within the fortnight.
“She looks fantastic, she’s done really well,” Ellerton said. “We’re probably blessed that we had that late autumn warmth and she had a really good break and she’s blossomed and strengthened up so hopefully she’s got the best in front of her.”