Dolcetto turns focus to big group one campaign
An outing at Awapuni on Saturday will serve as a means to an end for quality galloper Dolcetto.
Part-owner and trainer Sylvia Kay has acknowledged that the Fasttrack Insurance Handicap (1200m) isn’t an ideal opportunity for the Per Incanto gelding, but it will serve to further a Group One preparation for the five-year-old.
“He’s very well and feeling good, but how he will cope with the heavy track there is something we have to find out,” she said.
“We have to go somewhere to get him ready for the spring races when the tracks will be more to his liking.
“We’ve got to have him super fit for the races at Hastings.”
Kay is keen for Dolcetto to step out in each of the Triple Crown events – the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m), the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) and the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m).
The winner of the Gr.3 Boehringer Metric Mile (1600m) last preparation, Dolcetto resumed with a last-start fourth at Trentham behind the subsequent dual stakes winner New York Minute.
“It would be hopeless running him again with 60kg so I’ve put young Sam (O’Malley) on him to claim so that will help a bit,” Kaye said.
“The horse has done a lot of work without doing anything exciting. He could have gone to the trials next week at Foxton, but you don’t get paid there so we’ll run at Awapuni.
“I’ve been very happy with the horse, he’s doing well and there is quite a bit of improvement to come.
“He’s a rising six-year-old so he has taken a little bit longer to come up and he needs to be running to have him at his peak for the spring.”