AFTER a pleasing gallop at Newmarket yesterday, Star Witness will head to the group 1 July Cup on Saturday aiming to be the first Australian-trained horse to win one of the world's toughest 1200-metre races, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.It says: Star Witness ran two brave placings at Royal Ascot three weeks ago when luck did not go his way and trainer Danny O'Brien wanted to give the stallion a serious gallop over the testing track, which has a steep rise over the final 200 metres, before c
AFTER a pleasing gallop at Newmarket yesterday, Star Witness will head to the group 1 July Cup on Saturday aiming to be the first Australian-trained horse to win one of the world's toughest 1200-metre races, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
It says: Star Witness ran two brave placings at Royal Ascot three weeks ago when luck did not go his way and trainer Danny O'Brien wanted to give the stallion a serious gallop over the testing track, which has a steep rise over the final 200 metres, before committing to a run.
''He hasn't gone backwards since Royal Ascot and worked very well on the July course this morning [yesterday],'' O'Brien said. ''Steven [Arnold] was very happy with the way he handled the rise and the undulations of the track.''
Star Witness tired over the final stages on heavy going in the Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200 metres) at Royal Ascot at his last start, and ran third at his only start beyond that distance. But O'Brien said the son of Starcraft had come through his two runs in five days at Ascot without any problems and there was little doubt in his mind about the colt's ability to strongly run out the trip on Saturday.
''It was a very heavy track [at Ascot] and he had to take off a long way out and they ran 1-17 [one minute, 17 seconds] for the 1200 metres, and that is just unheard of in Australia,'' he said.