Exciting four-year-old Folding Gear will kick off his Caulfield Cup campaign with a pipe-opener in the Aurie's Star Handicap at Flemington.Connections are expecting the Johar gelding to be running on in Saturday's Group Three 1200-metre sprint which will be his biggest test before the Group Three Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on September 17."It is not the ideal race to be starting off in but we have to start somewhere," Shannon Hope, who co-trains Folding Gear with his father Lee Hope,
Exciting four-year-old Folding Gear will kick off his Caulfield Cup campaign with a pipe-opener in the Aurie's Star Handicap at Flemington.
Connections are expecting the Johar gelding to be running on in Saturday's Group Three 1200-metre sprint which will be his biggest test before the Group Three Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on September 17.
"It is not the ideal race to be starting off in but we have to start somewhere," Shannon Hope, who co-trains Folding Gear with his father Lee Hope, said.
"The ideal plan would have been kick off in a 0-89 race over 1200 metres and to claim three kilos on him but the only race like that was at Mornington and that track doesn't really suit get-back stayers."
Folding Gear has raced five times and came a long way in a short time, winning his maiden at his third start at Sandown and winning his next start in the Group Two Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield.
He hasn't started since he was ridden against his racing style in front and finished third to Domesky in the Group Two Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley in March.
Hope said he queried the class of the horses in the Autumn Classic but was looking forward to the spring with the horse.
TAB Sportsbet has opened Folding Gear at $26 for the Aurie's Star while stakes-performed sprinter and last-start winner of the All Victorian Sprint Final Perturbo is $3.20 favourite ahead of Offenders ($4.40).
"Mentally and physically he (Folding Gear) has developed and I am more than happy with him, but 1200 metres is going to be a bit short for him and he is probably going to get a bit lost going down the straight," Hope said.
"If he is running on and can run top eight and pick up $3000 I would be happy.
Hope said the Naturalism would be the litmus test for Folding Gear.
"We will take the easiest path with him to that race which will tell us which direction we go," Hope said.
"If he wins the Naturalism he will qualify for the Caulfield Cup and if he doesn't stay then we have time to freshen him up for something, maybe at Flemington (during the carnival)," Hope said.
Jockey Craig Williams has a lot of respect for Folding Gear and will ride him on Saturday.
Williams' previous ride on the horse was at Sandown where he won in February.