Summer Passage set for Blue Sapphire Stakes

Summer Passage NZ racehorse

MATAMATA three-year-old Summer Passage is in the right order to execute a back-up plan at Caulfield on Wednesday.

The horse will step out in the Group Three Blue Sapphire Stakes after connections opted to bypass Saturday’s Group One Caulfield Guineas, in which the colt would have jumped from the widest gate in a capacity field.

“The horse that drew the outside (Sanctioned) finished midfield and that could quite easily have been us,” said Andrew Scott, who trains Summer Passage with Lance O’Sullivan.

“The horse that won (Mighty Boss) had the most economical run in the race.

“It would have been a very tall order for our bloke and we want to give the horse at least a fighting chance over here.”

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Summer Passage will get his opportunity in the Blue Sapphire Stakes, in which it has barrier eight in a 10-horse field. The horse will be ridden by Hugh Bowman.

“The gate’s obviously a bit tricky so a lot will depend on how he jumps,” Scott said. “He’s got a top jockey and he will be able to give us the right feedback.

“All we want is to give the horse the opportunity to perform as well as we know he can.”

Summer Passage is coming off a last-start second in the Group Three Caulfield Guineas Prelude and Scott said the son of Snitzel had done very well in the interim.

“We’re really pleased with the way he has progressed. He had a quiet gallop on Monday so hopefully he can get a good run and perform very well.”

That being the case, Summer Passage will head to the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on November 4.

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