Marsh confirms exclusive Australian spring for Chocante
CAMBRIDGE-BASED trained Stephen Marsh will take star gelding Chocante across the Tasman for an exclusively Australian preparation as he targets the Sydney spring.
Marsh said his horse could hit the track for a blowout prior to the trip, but it will not be for any prize money.
“He could have a trial here, but Sydney will tell us where he is at and the tracks there are more likely to offer the sting out of them,” he said.
“We would be worried about giving him too many starts on firm ground.”
Chocante, who won the Group Three Counties Cup in the spring, was given a break in the wake of its Group Two Brisbane Cup victory at Doomben in June.
Marsh believes the horse is capable of taking out Australia’s biggest race.
“He’s back in the stable now and we’ve thought all along that the ultimate goal would be the Melbourne Cup,” Marsh said.
Chocante will open his campaign in the weight-for-age Group Two Chelmsford Stakes over the mile at Randwick.
“We’ll decide on riding engagements closer to the time, but I would say that we will be looking for a Sydney-based jockey,” Marsh said.
Chocante will then step up to 2000m a fortnight later in the Kingston Town Stakes, a Group Three contest at set weights and penalties, at Rosehill.
The rising five-year-old will end his Sydney stay with a crack at the Group One The Metropolitan under handicap conditions over 2400m back at Randwick on September 30.
Providing everything goes to plan, Marsh will then take Chocante to Melbourne, and potentially the cup.