Racing: Sangster targets Australian Guineas

Sangster, pictured winning the Victoria Derby, will begin his autumn campaign over 1400m at Te Rapa next month. Photo / Getty Images

Victorian Derby winner Sangster appears set to return to the scene of his greatest triumph when he contests the A$750,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 3.

Trainer Trent Busuttin told the Herald Sun Sangster's prospective autumn campaign would kick off in a 1400m weight-for-age race at Te Rapa on February 11.

Busuttin said that if Sangster ran well first-up he would then bring him to Melbourne to run in the Australian Guineas second-up.

"It all depends on what he does first-up over 1400m. If he runs well and hits the line strongly then he'll run in the Australian Guineas," he said.

Otherwise, Sangster would head straight to Sydney and run in the Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on the same day as the Guineas.

If Sangster does come to Melbourne, Busuttin said he would also contest the Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley on March 16.

Then he would go to Sydney and run in the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 31 and the AJC Derby (2500m) a fortnight later at Rosehill.

The Cambridge-based trainer said Sangster had been in work for six weeks and he was keen to get him back to Australia.

Busuttin said Sangster would trial in a fortnight.

"He's still got maturing to do physically but he has muscled up a lot."

Busuttin said Sangster was green in the closing stages in winning the Victoria Derby but he might have been a victim of circumstance.

"In his two runs in Melbourne he was wide throughout and had to hit the lead a long way out and from there he tended to stargaze," he said.

"It would be nice for him to get a run where he has cover and then he can sprint with 200m as I think that would make a difference."

Busuttin acknowledged the Victoria Derby runner-up Induna was unlucky but he said his horse had a much tougher run and Induna had his chance to grab Sangster.

After the autumn, Busuttin will spell Sangster and bring him back for the Melbourne Cup.

"He'll get a run. Whether he's up to Melbourne Cup class remains to be seen. I know everyone said it was a weak Derby but if you go through the Derby results in recent years there's always a top horse or two to come from each running."

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Of more immediate interest to Melbourne punters is the possible Blue Diamond clash between emphatic Caulfield debutant winner Sweet Little Lies and Gai Waterhouse's impressive colt Raceway.

Waterhouse confirmed that Raceway - who at Warwick Farm posted an equally brilliant win 20 minutes after Sweet Little Lies became on Saturday perhaps the best juvenile winner this season in Melbourne - would be heading south.

Waterhouse, who likened Raceway to her Golden Slipper winner Sebring, said she planned to run Raceway in the 1100m Diamond Prelude at Caulfield on February 11 as a lead into the A$1 million Diamond a fortnight later.

"He's a very good 2-year-old," Waterhouse said. "He did lots wrong on Saturday and still bolted in. He's a very strong, athletic individual.

"He ran a very fast time, he's got a fantastic stride and he's very similar to Sebring in that he's a very big, rangy, leggy horse and he's by the same sire [More Than Ready] and has the same cross."

Waterhouse said she had other options for the Diamond, including No Looking Back, a Redoute's Choice filly who won at Warwick Farm on debut in November.

"I'll just wait to get the Magic Millions out of the way first," she said.

"I don't think anything will beat Driefontein next Saturday. She's top class, she's the best 2-year-old here by a long shot."

While Raceway is entered for the Blue Diamond, not so Sweet Little Lies, who will head to the 1000m Diamond Preview on Australia Day, a start that will determine if a A$55,000 late-entry fee is paid up for the Diamond.

Co-trainer Simon Zahra said Sweet Little Lies had come through positively on her first trip to the races.