Having to carry 57-kilos isn’t ideal for Gracias Amigo as far as trainer Grahame Begg is concerned but that’s the price this five-year-old gelding who has found good form of late has to pay as he lines up in the VOBIS Gold Mile (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
“He’s not treated well at the weights under the set weight and penalties conditions but the horse is going well,” Begg said.
The penalties are in some ways courtesy of having won two of his last four starts including a win on New Year’s Day at Flemington over 1600 metres and also at Sandown over the same distance in early March.
Rated a $10 chance with TAB, Gracias Amigo comes to this race after a second placing at Flemington behind Glassey Miss, again over the mile trip.
“He had a little tick over jump out last week at Cranbourne,” Begg adds.
“He doesn’t want it anything worse than a Soft 5.”
And that rating is exactly what the Caulfield surface was as of Thursday afternoon with no further rain predicted over Friday and Saturday.
Begg lamented a lack of suitable races for some of the other horses he had nominated for the meeting which included a possible, but not to happen, return of stable favourite Dosh.
Entered for two races over 1100 metres at Caulfield, Begg preferred to have her run over 1000 metres first-up for the injury-plagued filly who hasn’t been seen on-track since finishing unplaced in the Group 3 Red Anchor Stakes at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day.
“She’s had one thing go wrong after another and it has been frustrating,” he said.
The Listed Bright Shadow Stakes at Doomben on 14 May as a possible outing for the 2021 Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview (Fillies, 1000m) winner.