Lord Of The Sky back to sprinting best
Robbie Laing left Caulfield racecourse 12 months ago wondering about the career of Lord Of The Sky.
Move forward a year and Laing is on top of the world after the sprinter took out the Group Three Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Last year Lord Of The Sky was sent out a $4 favourite only to suffer a tendon injury in finishing last to Smokin’ Joey.
With Damien Oliver back in the saddle for the first time in over 12 months, Lord Of The Sky ($8) on Saturday led throughout to defeat the $3.50 favourite Fast `n’ Rocking by 1-1/2 lengths with Mahuta ($5.50) 1-1/4 lengths away third.
Oliver had ridden Lord Of The Sky to Group One second placings in the TJ Smith Stakes, behind Chautauqua, and the Goodwood in Adelaide last year and Laing said victory in one of the those races would have seen the five-year-old off to stud.
“All the stud masters tell me he’s not worth standing until he’s won a Group One,” Laing said.
Now Laing wants to try Lord Of The Sky over 1400m in either the Group Two PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield on August 13 or the Group One Memsie Stakes (1400m) a fortnight later.
Laing said there had been interest from an English breeder to race the sprinter in a couple of races overseas before standing him at stud.
“The ingredients of breeding fast horses in Australia is putting mares to fast stallions and there’s not a faster horse in Australia than him,” Laing said.
“There’s an Englishman that has been watching pretty keenly.
“If he was to go there’s a Heritage Handicap in September and his last race could be at Chantilly on Arc day.”
Oliver, who hadn’t ridden Lord Of The Sky since he bungled the start in the Sir John Monash Stakes last year, noted the sprinter was on his best behaviour.
“He’s come back with a really great attitude this time,” Oliver said.
“Going to the start today he was probably as well behaved as he’s ever been.
“That gave me a good indication right from the word go.”
Dwayne Dunn, who rode the runner-up, said Fast `n’ Rocking’s second placing was a sign of his improving career.
“He’s maturing better and he feels like there might be a solid 1400-metre race in him, whereas there wasn’t before,” Dunn said.