Foxy start to Australian Cup campaign

Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young learned one thing out of a failed trip to Ballarat that Foxy Cleopatra has an aversion to really wet tracks.

Those conditions will not front Foxy Cleopatra when she returns from a break in the Group 3 T S Carlyon Cup (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

While Foxy Cleopatra had been placed on soft tracks during her three-year-old year, the mare flopped on heavy ground in the Ballarat Cup (2000m) in December.

“She didn’t really cop that heavy track at Ballarat, and we needed to know,” Young said.

“We were in two minds whether to scratch her when she was favourite leading into the race.

“She’s had a little spell after that and has come back. She’s trialled up super and she worked up really well on Tuesday morning.”

Foxy Cleopatra came off a 12 month break to run second on Melbourne Cup Day and then at her next start finished second in the Cranbourne Cup (1600m) before stepping up to 2000m of the Ballarat Cup.

Young has no doubts Foxy Cleopatra will run 2000m and the stable has aspirations of running the mare in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 30.

“On pedigree she should get out to 2000 (metres) no problem, and she ran second in an Ethereal as a three-year-old,” Young said.

“I think she will get out there eventually. It would be nice if she does as we’ve got Australian Cup aspirations for her.

“We’ll go the Peter Young, the Australian Cup Prelude and then the Australian Cup, all going well.

“Hopefully she can get that on the way by winning on Saturday.”

Foxy Cleopatra has just six rivals on Saturday and Young said barrier one was not ideal.

“She may get boxed in on the fence, but she’s absolutely flying at home and hopefully she can win on Saturday instead of running second like she did on Cup Day,” Young quipped.