Weighty task confronts in-form sprinter

To Excess wins at Scone.
Ortensia Stakes winner To Excess faces a weight hike as he continues his campaign at Randwick.

Tracey Bartley has grudgingly accepted To Excess must pay for his winning exploits at Scone.

Claiming the Listed Ortensis Stakes earlier this month has had an unfortunate side effect for the four-year-old gelding – a 12-point rating jump that doesn’t sit well with the Wyong-based trainer.

“Is 12 fair? Not when this horse had only ever won a race on a Wednesday,” Bartley said.

“He was flat out getting a run at Scone, he scrapes into the field and his next run in the same class of horses he’s got 58 (kilos).

To Excess carried 53kg when winning the Ortensia Stakes and at Randwick on Saturday he will be the joint second topweight for The Man Shake Handicap (1100m).

“I know it’s the price of success, I’m just hoping if he wins he doesn’t go up another 12 points or something because the June Stakes is the natural progression.”

Bartley has targeted the Listed June Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on June 9 as the end point of this campaign.

He will then spell for the spring where the Group Two Salinger Stakes (1200m) appeal at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day in November.

“If he can get through the next two runs I’ll set him for the Salinger, where he might be down in the weights a bit,” he said.

On a positive note, To Excess had drawn perfectly with barrier six in the field of 14.

“He’ll park fourth or fifth and then have the last crack at them,” Bartley said.

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