HORSE RACING
MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainer Logan McGill is looking to reach new heights with his inform Sale Cup winner, Gold Fields, in the coming months.
The last-start $160,000 Group Thee Sandown Stakes winner will head to Sydney next to race in the Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) on Saturday 14 December, before embarking on a potential trip to Dubai.
McGill said he was “50/50” between heading overseas or staying in Melbourne to have a crack at the $5 million All-Star Mile in March.
“It is such an honour for him to have an invite to race in Dubai and at this stage that is still the first plan, but we will only go if it is 100 per cent in his best interest,” McGill said.
“Either would be an amazing thrill and to be honest it’s a great problem to have.”
Since his narrow last start victory, the seven-year-old gelding has had a tune-up at Traralgon where he coasted to a five-length trial win on Thursday 5 December.
The dominant display reinforced McGill’s opinion that the stable-favourite is relishing being in work at the moment, having also won three of his last four starts.
“It was good to see for an old horse that’s deep into his prep, but it’s a pretty normal occurrence trialing him between runs. It seems to be doing the trick so hopefully that just ticks him over for his next one now,” he said.
The now 101-rater will race clockwise for the first time at his next start, but his trainer is confident it won’t cause much of a hindrance.
“We’re a little bit scarce of options for him down here just because of where his rating’s gotten to, so he’ll go for a little trip and hopefully that’s the right race for him,” McGill said.
“We have done a bit of work with him that way and I don’t think it will pose too much of a problem. I think he should adapt to it pretty well.”
First published in the Mornington News – 10 December 2019
