Katsu hunting Oakleigh Plate berth
Following Katsu’s recent triumph in the Kensington Stakes (1000m), trainer Grahame Begg has confirmed that the four-year-old sprinter will make his next appearance in the Listed W.J Adams Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on Friday.
The W.J Adams Stakes serves as a ‘win and you’re in’ race for the prestigious Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 24.
Begg, impressed by Katsu’s performance in the last start, decided to target this week’s race, believing that the horse has made significant progress in pacing himself during races.
“We’ve always had a high opinion of him, and he went super last start as the way the track played, the wind and having the inside gate was going to make it hard for him to get to the right position, yet he was still able to win,” said Begg
Acknowledging Katsu as a work in progress, Begg emphasised the horse’s controlled and impressive performance, both in jump-outs and training.
“He was very controlled, he raced like it in the jump-outs and he’s training like it as well, but I want to see him do it again.”
With the W.J Adams Stakes providing a ‘win and you’re in’ opportunity for the Oakleigh Plate, Begg viewed it as an inviting chance for Katsu.
“It’s a win and you’re in a situation for the Oakleigh Plate, so it looked a very inviting opportunity for us.
“It’s a long time to go a couple of months between runs, so it looked like a logical race to target.”
Top horse racing bookmakers have Katsu rated a +1600 chance in Oakleigh Plate futures markets.