Talented galloper Whitefriars will have a low-key start to his autumn preparation at Warwick Farm on Wednesday but trainer Rick Worthington is expecting a strong performance from the dual stakes placegetter.Whitefriars has not raced since the eventful Listed Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on December 5 when he was involved in interference early in the race.Worthington was forced to spell the four-year-old when he pulled up lame after that race.He is now hoping for a trouble-free preparation
Talented galloper Whitefriars will have a low-key start to his autumn preparation at Warwick Farm on Wednesday but trainer Rick Worthington is expecting a strong performance from the dual stakes placegetter.
Whitefriars has not raced since the eventful Listed Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on December 5 when he was involved in interference early in the race.
Worthington was forced to spell the four-year-old when he pulled up lame after that race.
He is now hoping for a trouble-free preparation for the son of Arena beginning with Wednesday's Ray Burke Sprint (1000m) on his home track with apprentice Kody Nestor aboard.
The trainer said he was happy with the entire heading into his first-up assignment except for the fact he missed a scheduled barrier trial due to wet weather early last week.
"He's in the 1000-metre race because he didn't trial however, without getting carried away, I'll still be disappointed if he doesn't run well tomorrow," Worthington said.
"I'm happy with the horse and expect him to run very well provided he handles the track."
Whitefriars has always shown ability right from his very first race start when he won by almost seven lengths in a 1000m 2YO Handicap at Canberra in January 2008.
At his second start in August 2008 he finished second to Duporth in the Group Three San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill.
He also finished runner-up to Dreamscape three starts later in the Group Two Stan Fox Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
"I think he's always been an immature horse, although he's a big horse, but he's always shown promise," Worthington said, adding that his task was made difficult in those early preparations because of wide barrier draws in good races.
"Last preparation when he won first-up on Melbourne Cup day (at Randwick) I thought it was a good step in the right direction but then, of course, another incident happened and we've had to start again.
"I just would like to see him be able to get some momentum up."
Whitefriars has won two from four when first-up from a break including his 2-1/4 length win over 1100m at Randwick on November 3 last preparation carrying 59kg.
Meanwhile, Worthington said Saturday's Canonbury Stakes runner-up Corvidae had pulled up well from his first run for the stable and was likely to be given three weeks before his next start in the Kindergarten Stakes at Warwick Farm.