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By Ray Hickson

Plan B didn’t come off for Richard Litt’s exciting colt Profondo first-up but the trainer is confident he can bounce back in Saturday’s Group 1 $600,000 Sky Racing Active Rosehill Guineas (2000m).

Trainer Richard Litt (Pic: Bradley Photos).

It’s been well documented that the late decision to miss the Randwick Guineas on a heavy track two weeks ago in favour of running in the Australian Guineas in Melbourne saw the three-year-old beat only two home after a wide run.

Litt said the horse came through the run without an issue and has no choice but to shake off the performance and back the colt’s ability to return to form – though the wet track remains a question mark.

“It’s just one of those things, it’s happened, and we’ll put it behind us,’’ he said.

“We wanted to avoid the heavy track and we did, whether it worked in our favour I’m not sure, but the horse will be running on whatever is put in front of him.

“It’s not that we don’t think he can handle it, because we don’t know, but we know how good he is on top of the ground. Brilliant horses with a good turn of foot are much better on top of the ground.

“We’re ready for the challenge. He’s fit enough, we know he loves the trip, if he doesn’t handle the ground hopefully class prevails.”

Profondo, $5 with TAB on Wednesday, has a new jockey for the Rosehill Guineas with Hugh Bowman doing the steering from gate six in a nine horse field.

Litt, who won the Guineas with Castelvecchio in 2020, said ideally he’d like to see the horse positioned similarly to when he won the Spring Champion Stakes at just his third race start back in October.

“I don’t think we can overcomplicate it,’’ he said.

“Hughie has had two sits on the horse now and knows what he’s got and what’s underneath him. It’ll be very much have him where he’s comfortable.

“Castelvecchio was a different type of horse, he had a Cox Plate run under his belt, but this horse is very good as well.

“(Profondo) is a young, green, horse but we have all confidence that he will run very well.”

The Warwick Farm trainer said it’s great to be targeting a Group 1 race that he’s won before, given the limited opportunities a stable of his size comes across, but stresses Profondo shouldn’t be compared to Castelvecchio.

The 2020 Rosehill Guineas was Castelvecchio’s second last race start, he was retired with 13 starts under his belt following the ATC Derby.

It’s highly likely Profondo, who did cost $1.9 million as a yearling and is already a Group 1 winner, will race on beyond his three-year-old season where Litt says he’ll come into his own.

“They are two very good young three-year-old colts,’’ he said.

“It’s totally different to training a six-year-old gelding, there’s a lot of different sorts of pressure and a lot more expectation with a colt.

“Some people don’t get one let alone two horses like them, we’re not declaring him as good as Castelvecchio yet. And he’s going to get better, he’s a horse I suspect you will see for a lot longer.”

Stablemate South Pacific will relish the rain affected ground in the Group 3 $160,000 Queen’s Cup (2400m) as he tries to earn a place in next month’s Sydney Cup.

Profondo wins the Spring Champion Stakes

The import has raced five times for Litt with a third in the Listed Torney Cup (2500m) at Moonee Valley on February 18 his best effort to date.

“He’s going as good as he can at the moment. He’s looking for a trip,’’ Litt said.

“The Adelaide Cup was on the plan but it was a bit too much for him to head back down that way.

“I’d love to snag a couple of good runs and sneak into the Sydney Cup. If he gets a wet track over 3200m he will run a big race.”

All the entries, form and replays for Saturday's Golden Slipper Day at Rosehill