Worthington looking for Honesty on G1 path
The Furious Stakes will determine which Group One target trainer Rick Worthington chooses for Honesty Prevails.
A small hiccup in her preparation has meant Honesty Prevails is a little behind in her program ahead of Saturday’s Group Two race over 1200m at Randwick.
“Because we had that little bit of a setback she just needs to run on Saturday to give us another couple of pages of the book to see where we are at,” Worthington said.
Plan A is the Tea Rose Stakes building into the Group One Flight Stakes at Randwick on October 1.
But if Saturday shows she won’t reach her peak in time, Worthington is happy to wait for plan B – the $500,000 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield a week after the Flight Stakes.
Both races are for the same prize money and over 1600m, a distance Worthington has always believed will suit Honesty Prevails.
He is convinced Honesty Prevails has returned a better horse than when she ran fifth in the Golden Slipper at her last start.
“She’s extremely well. She’s developed into an even stronger, bigger filly,” Worthington said.
“She’s going to improve on the run whatever she does on Saturday.”
Worthington is hoping Honesty Prevails can get cover from barrier three and work home strongly late.
“I want her to relax early and get home because going forward the plan is to step her up over ground later on,” he said.
Global Glamour will also kick off her spring in the Furious and she is a horse co-trainer Adrian Bott says is highly talented.
“She’s forward enough for Saturday and we’ve always thought a lot of this horse,” Bott said.
Honesty Prevails is an $8 chance to win the Furious, while Global Glamour is being kept safe at $7.
In an open betting race after Omei Sword’s omission, Victorian raider I Am A Star is $5 favourite with trainer Shane Nichols opting for the Furious over the Atlantic Jewel Stakes in Melbourne.
Chris Waller-trained duo Awoke and Foxplay are at $6 and $9.50 respectively.