Acromantula to target Carlyon Stakes and the McEwen Stakes

Ben Pearce has identified two black-type races at Moonee Valley for the short-course specialist.

“He’s going to Melbourne for a couple of race at Moonee Valley,” Pearce told The Races WA.

“The Carlyon Stakes (1000m) and the McEwen Stakes (1000m).

“There are just no races for him here and I always said he would get around Moonee Valley good.

“He’s got the natural speed and the way he races should suit the course.

“He’s never really performed at Belmont so that’s what we have decided.

“If we did happen to win one of them the Moir (Stakes) is on a couple of weeks later.

“He will obviously have to prove he is up to that grade.”

After testing Acromantula in the heat of a Melbourne campaign, Pearce said the five-year-old will return for Ascot’s Pinnacles carnival.

“The aim is to bring him back for the Prince Of Wales, the Colonel Reeves and just depending on how he is going the Winterbottom,” Pearce said.

Acromantula is a son of Written Tycoon and a winner of seven races from 23 starts, all at 1000m, his optimum distance range.

His dam For Your Eyes Only won three Listed events including the Beaufine Stakes (1000m) in track record time in 2010.

Acromantula has not raced since placing third to boom filly Amelia’s Jewel and Red Can Man in the G3 Roma Cup (1100m) in April.

Earlier he claimed the Rock Magic Stakes (1000m), the second win of a consistent campaign that commenced in October.

The Listed Carlyon Stakes and G2 McEwen Stakes are run on August 23 and September 9 respectively.

The G1 Moir Stakes is on September 29 at Moonee Valley.

Meanwhile, stable mate Fear The Wind continued his rich vein of form at Ascot on Saturday with a fourth straight win.

Pearce says the Fiorente stayer is starting to hit his straps.

“He’ll go to the Rogan Josh,” Pearce said.

“He’s going super.

“We’ve always liked him and thought he’d make a nice stayer.

“He just had a load of issues that was holding us back.

“But at the end of the day he is a Fiorente and you don’t buy them expecting to hit the track straight away.”

The Rogan Josh Handicap (2200m) is run at Belmont on June 24.

Pearce says talented three-year-old gelding Triple Jay will go through his grades after a dominant four length win at Pinjarra on Sunday.

Queen Alina will progress to the Strickland Stakes (2000m) on Saturday and Exceltrain, fifth in the Raconteur (1400m), will advance to the Belmont Guineas (1600m) in two weeks.