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By Ray Hickson

It’d be easy for Richard Litt to let the ‘Group 1 winning trainer’ tag go to his head or succumb to the pressure of training a high profile colt like Castelvecchio.

Castelvecchio wins the Group 1 Champagne Stakes at Randwick. (Pic: Bradley Photos).

But it wasn’t evident at Mudgee last Sunday, six days out from his headline horse tackling the Group 1 $1m Mostyn Copper Randwick Guineas (1600m), as Litt sent a couple of country class horses around and they finished last and second last.

Racing is such a leveller.

“I love coming to the races. The owners have had a good day, their horses didn't run well but they are still smiling,’’ he said as he prepared to send Photogenic and Wicked Willy back to their Warwick Farm share house where Group 1 winner Castelvecchio also lives.

“One didn't jump out and one went awful. That's racing. Now we have the build up to the Randwick Guineas.

“We just have to enjoy it because we might be waiting another 20 years for the next one.’’

Castelvecchio faces an important moment in the Randwick Guineas on Saturday.

He started his autumn campaign as favourite for the Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m), the flagship race of The Star Championships, and with a massive expectation on him built from his second placing in the Cox Plate.

No two-year-old has run faster over the Randwick mile than Castelvecchio did in winning the Group 1 Champagne Stakes last autumn and he returns to that course and distance for the first time, as a three-year-old, since then in the Randwick Guineas.

The reality is he also hasn’t won a race in those 11 months, though two Group 1 second placings have been collected.

“I'm just excited to get him back to the mile at Randwick and 2000m at Rosehill will be very good too,’’ Litt said.

“He's proven to us he's a freak, everyone tells me he's very good. Maybe I talk him up too much, I don't know, I’m certainly not disappointed in him. We are still building to better races.’’

Castelvecchio’s first-up sixth in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) two weeks ago was no cause for anyone to be disappointed in the horse.

Sure, Litt went into the race saying he wants to win everything the colt contests but under the circumstances it was a ripping return.

Punter’s Intelligence sectional data shows Castelvecchio ran the fastest last 200m in the Hobartville, 11.62, and though he didn’t win the race that was what Litt needed to see from him first-up.

“If we didn't see that I'd be massively concerned,’’ he said.

“I could see him coming around the corner and thought he's up to his tricks but I knew he'd pick up and he did that.

“He does have a flat spot until he gets over a suitable distance, we've seen that a couple of times now.

Castelvecchio's first-up run at Rosehill on February 22

“If there's 200 more metres in that race he would have been steaming right through the line. He takes a bit more fitness out of the run and getting to Randwick will suit him.’’

Castelvecchio was a $5.50 chance with TAB on Wednesday after the scratching of early favourite Super Seth and, remarkably, all 11 horses from the slowly run Hobartville are progressing to the Guineas.

Litt remains confident he has Castelvecchio where he wants him as he moves into his comfort zone.

“He has to be a top chance, he's on the up,’’ he said.

“He missed that barrier trial leading into the 1400m, he ran creditably and he's only going to improve. If he improves a couple of lengths he's right there in the finish.’’

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick Guineas meeting