O’Rourke has decided to start From Within at Canterbury
Edward O’Rourke has decided to start new stable acquisition From Within at Canterbury rather than Randwick.
The former Chris Waller-trained filly will take on older mares in the Book Summer Holiday Today Sprint (1100m) on Friday night with Kerrin McEvoy to ride.
O’Rourke also accepted with From Within for an 1100m-race the following day at Randwick.
He opted for Canterbury after discussing it with her owners who are spread over Singapore, Hong Kong and South Africa.
Raffles Thoroughbred Racing transferred the filly from Waller to O’Rourke’s stable in May, shortly after he took out his training licence.
“I was just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time,” he said.
From Within won on debut at Canterbury last December but was unplaced in Group company in the autumn.
She fractured a splint bone in July but recovered and showed she was ready for her return with an encouraging trial at Randwick last month when she beat black-type winner Arbeitsam.
O’Rourke, who began training when his boss Michael Freedman went to Hong Kong this season, also has this year’s Golden Slipper runner-up Frolic back in work at Randwick in anticipation of a trial at the end of January.
O’Rourke said the former Freedman-trained filly would probably resume in the Group Two Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 17.
“We’ll decide what route we take with her from there. We have to decide whether to keep her sprinting or try and step her out to a mile,” he said.