Going straight from a debut Moe maiden win to a city race worth more than $200,000 is not something Luke Oliver would normally do, but he is happy to try it this Saturday with Torlaah.
The son of Shalaa will be seen for the first time since his impressive win on December 8 when he contests the VOBIS Gold Carat at The Valley.
The 1200-metre event is a race restricted to paid-up three-year-old members of the VOBIS Gold scheme with $30,000 in Super VOBIS bonuses attached to the $175,000 prizemoney.
Torlaah is the equal-second highest-rated horse in the race behind Peace Treaty, the only dual winner engaged, which made it an option too good to pass up for Oliver.
“It’s sort of like a Class 1 but worth $200,000 with the bonus,” Oliver said of the $50,000 Inglis Premier buy.
“We think he’s a pretty progressive horse and we thought he’d do what he did on debut.
“Daniel Stackhouse has ridden him a lot and likes him. It’s obviously a big step up, but it’s worth taking the test and seeing how he measures up.”
Torlaah turned in a dominant on-speed performance to score at Moe, when he scored by three-quarters-of-a-length from High Security, who broke his maiden at his next outing at Seymour last Thursday.
Torlaah has drawn barrier two on Saturday, to the immediate outside of Peace Treaty, which presents Stackhouse with an opportunity to find a prominent position.
The fact the VOBIS Gold Carat is at The Valley is another thing Oliver considers advantages for Torlaah.
“I tend to think Moe and Moonee Valley are a little bit similar, both StrathAyr and a similar circumference, so I don’t think the track will be an issue,” he said.
Torlaah is one of three runners at The Valley for Oliver, whose two other representatives are engaged in the Ladbrokes Blackbook Handicap (1600m).
Real Sensation is a chance to back-up after beating home all bar the promising Plenty Of Ammo at Caulfield on Tuesday, while Spanish Tides steps up to a suitable 1600m for the first time this campaign.