An elevated temperature has seen the Leon & Troy Crostens-trained filly Sweet Sherry scratched from Saturday’s Prelude and in serious doubt for the Thousand Guineas 2016 on October 8.
Sweet Sherry has been scratched from Saturday’s 2016 Thousand Guineas Prelude and will run at Flemington Sunday week instead. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Co-trainer Troy Corstens admitted the stable’s progressive Bel Esprit three-year-old would need to make “one hell of a recovery” between now and Caulfield Guineas Day if she is to line-up in the $500,000 Group 1 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m).
The past two Thousand Guineas winners both graduated from the $200,000 Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m), this season’s edition of which runs at Caulfield Racecourse on Saturday.
Sweet Sherry was one of 14 original acceptors for the set weights plus penalties clash on the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Day card, drawn the rails with Steven Arnold booked for the ride.
She has officially been withdrawn from the line-up after suffering from an elevated temperature on Sunday night and subsequently being unfit to gallop on Thursday morning Corstens told Racing Victoria.
“She was responding well from Sunday but then I thought she was a touch flat this morning and elected not to gallop her,” he said.
“As a result we made the decision to scratch from Saturday as she would have been going in to the race underdone.”
Sweet Sherry was one of the top fancies in the Thousand Guineas Prelude odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying around $6.50 at the time of her scratching.
As for futures markets on next month’s Thousand Guineas, she is out to $17 to win with odds firmly led by Chris Waller’s Golden Rose runner-up Omei Sword ($3.50).
Corstens confirmed plan b was to now head to Flemington Sunday week, October 2, for the $120,000 Listed Poseidon Stakes (1400m) for three-year-old fillies on Turnbull Stakes Day.
With only six days between that race and the Thousand Guineas, the chance of Sweet Sherry making it to the Group 1 looked very unlikely.
“We’d need to be able to get a serious gallop in to her next Tuesday if we wanted to run at Flemington and I’m not sure whether that will be possible,” Corstens said.
“She will have to make a hell of a recovery if we can go down that path and I don’t believe the back-up would be ideal either.
“I’ve spoken to her owner and we’ve made the decision not to rush anything, we always put the horse first and if she isn’t right, well so be it, we can miss the Thousand Guineas.”
The updated Thousand Guineas Prelude betting markets for this weekend meanwhile have Simon Miller’s triple Group winning Perth visitor Whispering Brook as the firming $4 favourite (in from $6.50).
She comes off a first-up second to Merriest in the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley from September 3, a race Sweet Sherry placed third in.
The Atlantic Jewel Stakes winner Merriest also races this weekend back at Moonee Valley under the lights on Friday night in the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m).
Back your favourite fillies over the coming weeks at the right prices through Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Odds Boost (T&Cs apply).
