Fanatic on target for Listed Sandown Cup
Fresh from her first Australian win during the Melbourne Cup carnival, New Zealand Group One winner Fanatic will be chasing more success in the Listed Sandown Cup.
Fanatic sprinted well at the end of 2800m to win on the undercard to the Melbourne Cup at Flemington and steps up to 3200m on Saturday against seven rivals.
The Flemington victory was the 2016 NZ Oaks winner’s first in six starts since joining the Lindsay Park stable and co-trainer Tom Dabernig is hoping the mare can go on with the job at Sandown.
He said they were pleased with Fanatic going into the Geelong Cup (2400m) the start before her Flemington win and while disappointed with her eighth placing, they found the mare was in season that day.
“So that’s what we put that performance down to,” Dabernig said.
“Then on Cup day she was smothered up and came through the field and really won well.
“She has come through that race well and she’s rock-hard fit.
“Her action is great and she’s quite a tough sort of mare so I would have to think she would be a good chance.”
Fanatic has raced twice at 3200m, finishing fourth in this year’s Wellington Cup and sixth in the Auckland Cup.
The Lindsay Park team have runners in seven of the 10 stakes races at Sandown but do not have a runner in either of the Group Two features, the Zipping Classic and Sandown Guineas.