Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Trainer Kerry Parker regards his stable star Think It Over as among the top five weight-for-age horses in Australia at the moment and if that is the case the decision to stay in Sydney for the spring could prove lucrative.

Trainer Kerry Parker (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The six-year-old is a short-priced favourite in the Group 2 $1m Yulong Hill Stakes (2000m) and if successful in his next three starts he could bag over $2.4m in prizemoney and bonuses.

While that’s getting a step ahead of what’s in front of Think It Over on Saturday, Parker said the Group 3 $750,000 Craven Plate (2000m) on TAB Everest day is a big target and if he wins that race the $750,000 Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m) on Golden Eagle day would be next.

Any horse that can win the Craven Plate and Rosehill Gold Cup will earn a $1 million bonus.

“He’ll get a fair bit of weight in it but in saying that he’d deserve it. He has to win the Craven Plate first,’’ Parker said.

“It was (owner) Richard Johnston’s call (to stay in Sydney) and he was happy to have the horse at home, hoping he is racing in the Craven Plate and he can go to the races and watch him on Everest Day.

“His three runs have proven he’s taken the step we needed him to take. Realistically he’s probably in the top four or five weight-for-age horses in Australia at the moment.”

It’s a long way from where Think It Over was a year ago when he started $26 in the Hill Stakes, running fifth to Kolding, and won the Craven Plate as a $15 chance.

Needless to say Parker was pleased to see Verry Elleegant scratched from the Hill after finishing a close third to the champion mare in the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) two weeks ago and he took her place as favourite at $2 with TAB on Wednesday.

That performance followed a brave effort to chase down Epsom favourite Riodini and win the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes with both runs telling the Kembla Grange trainer that the horse is flying.

“He ran in this race last year and I remember thinking we weren’t quite up to those horses but the ones that beat him home were never going to be there for the Craven Plate,’’ he said.

“That was our chance of winning one. But it’s turned out lovely this preparation.

“It’s been a perfect little prep so far. He’s had those two tough runs over a mile so 2000m should be perfect for him now.”

The one thing not in Parker’s control heading to Randwick is how the race will be run. He’s happy to leave that to in-form jockey Nash Rawiller and said in an ideal world he’d have a horse to zero in on when they top the rise.

“There didn’t look to be any speed there so I imagine he would put himself somewhere there,’’ he said.

“As we’ve seen when he chased down Riodini he does like to have a bunny.”

Think It Over runs third at Randwick on September 18

Meanwhile, Parker will assess whether Don Luigi is worth aiming at the inaugural $700,000 Four Pillars if he’s in the finish of the Midway Handicap (1000m) on Saturday.

With just one 800m jump out leading in, the four-year-old is on the fresh side but with Brock Ryan’s claim he’ll carry only 50.5kg.

“There’s still improvement in him but from a nice barrier with no weight we’re hoping he gets a soft run in transit,’’ Parker said.

“He started charging when we put the blinkers on and it took a while to bring him back. So I would like to ride him with cover. He relaxes behind another horse but if he gets too much daylight he gets trucking and over racing.”

Don Luigi hasn’t raced since finishing third over 1250m at Canterbury in May after leading.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's TAB Epsom meeting at Randwick