Light winter planned for talented Dolcetto
Group winner Dolcetto will be sparingly raced over the winter to ready him for further stakes challenges later in the year.
All roads will lead to the Hawke’s Bay carnival for the Per Incanto five-year-old, who will resume in Saturday’s Randwick Meats Handicap (1200m) at Trentham.
“He’s very well, but it’s a bit of an ask on a heavy track although he has handled them in the past,” part-owner and trainer Sylvia Kay said.
“There’s not that many options for him and I just want to keep him ticking over and finding the odd race for him before the spring.”
Dolcetto has won eight of his 12 starts, including the Group 3 Boehringer Metric Mile (1600m) and was spelled after he was successful in an open handicap at Awapuni on Boxing Day.
“He was a bit sore over the back end and several vets looked at him and no-one could find anything wrong,” Kay said.
“We gave him three months out and he seems good now. He has shot up in the wither so maybe it was growing pains.
“It sounds silly for him as a five-year-old, but it can happen. He’s had a lot of work, he’s well and full of mischief at the moment.”
Kay will also be represented by Sylvester in the Platinum Homes Handicap (2100m), the gelding going into the race after a last-start fifth on the course. “He duffed the start the other day,” Kay said.
“He knuckled over and then ran into another horse.
“We were going to ride him second or third, but he was back and it was hard to make up ground on a puggy track. He came through it well and he’s a very fit horse.”