In-form trainer Robbie Laing is already planning a path for his Victoria Derby winner Polanski that will take him to next year’s Melbourne Cup, reports Racing Network.
“He’s a big strong horse who does everything you ask, he eats and thrives all the time, I can’t see why we wouldn’t aim him at the Melbourne Cup as a four-year-old,” Laing said.
Sent to the spelling paddock immediately after his stunning win in the Derby at Flemington, Polanski will be back in work in the middle of December.
“We will deliberately give him a lighter autumn...Maybe two runs in Melbourne and two in Sydney, then another break, see how he is, and determine if he can go to the Melbourne Cup,” Laing said.
Polanski will have his first-up autumn run in a race yet to be selected, before he goes to the Group 1 $750,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) second-up.
“Then we’ll look at either going to Sydney or the Australian Cup at Flemington. I guess it depends on what some of the others, like Fiorante, do...Gai (trainer, Gai Waterhouse) might decide he should stay in Sydney for races like the new Queen Elizabeth because it’s worth $4 million,” he said.
Polanski will run in the Australian Derby, which now carries $2 million in prize-money.