All Silent has settled into his Flemington surroundings with his workload being steadily increased ahead of a first-up tilt at the Newmarket Handicap in March.Trainer Grahame Begg said the dual Group One winner was in great condition after serving the mandatory quarantine at the Sandown facility on his return from Hong Kong.While he had a luckless run in last month's International Sprint at Sha Tin, All Silent emerged unscathed from the experience unlike the other three Australian horses who com
All Silent has settled into his Flemington surroundings with his workload being steadily increased ahead of a first-up tilt at the Newmarket Handicap in March.
Trainer Grahame Begg said the dual Group One winner was in great condition after serving the mandatory quarantine at the Sandown facility on his return from Hong Kong.
While he had a luckless run in last month's International Sprint at Sha Tin, All Silent emerged unscathed from the experience unlike the other three Australian horses who competed at the meeting.
Racing To Win, who ran in the Mile, and sprinter Apache Cat have both been retired due to injury while Scenic Blast will do his future racing in the United States after suffering a severe bleeding attack.
"He's come back great, he looks outstanding," the Randwick-based Begg said.
"He's staying at Flemington and did his first piece of three-quarter work on Saturday morning since coming out of quarantine.
"The plan is to go first-up into the Newmarket."
Unbeaten filly Black Caviar heads TAB Sportsbet markets for the Newmarket (1200m) on March 7 with All Silent the second elect.
All Silent won the 2008 Emirates Stakes (1600m) but Begg kept him to sprint distance last spring.
He won the Gilgai Stakes and the Group One Patinack Farm Classic down the Flemington straight 1200m course, the venue for the Newmarket.
With All Silent already established as a Group One performer, Begg has high expectations Palacio De Cristal can join him this autumn.
The mare will be set for the Doncaster Mile in April having demonstrated her prowess over the Randwick 1600 metres with her victory in last month's Villiers Stakes.
"She just had two weeks break after the Villiers and is back to be prepared for the Doncaster," Begg said.
"She may run first-up in the Apollo Stakes but that's not confirmed yet."
The four-year-old is a daughter of 1997 Queensland Oaks winner Crystal Palace and Begg originally thought she may be able to emulate her mother.
But her failures over longer distances last year convinced the trainer to stick to the shorter trips.
Palacio De Cristal is raced by prominent owner-breeder and billionaire businessman Gerry Harvey.