Acromantula on track for Melbourne racing return

Speedy gelding Acromantula is on target for another crack at a Melbourne campaign after completing a second top trial performance at Lark Hill on Monday.

In similar vein to his winning performance at the same course two weeks ago, Acromantula led throughout, but on this occasion stretched his win to five lengths.

Bitofmerit, in his first official hit out since December, tried hard to keep in contact and apply pressure to Acromantula, but faded over the concluding stages.

Trained by Dan and Ben Pearce, Acromantula is looking to go back east and repeat his heroics from last year when he reached a career-high at Moonee Valley.

The son of Written Tycoon scored his first feature success when led to an all the way victory by jockey Crag Williams in the Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m).

In a positive endorsement, Ben Pearce thinks Acromantula is going back to Melbourne in better shape than he was 12-months ago.

“He’s going good and is probably going better than when he headed over last year,” Pearce said.

“Last year we only gave him the one trial and he came up a little underdone first up.

“We’ve given him the two trials and he’s come up real good.

“He flies out next Tuesday and races on the 10th next month at Moonee Valley.

“It’s in a benchmark 100 over a 1000 metres and then two weeks into the Carlyon.

“There are not a lot of options home, and he races so well at that track.

“We feel it’s a good way for him to go.

“His trials have been really good, and he ran good time today (Monday).

“Bitofmerit came up to pressure him, but he dropped him off pretty quick.”

Meanwhile, Lord Vampi has run his final race for the Pearce’s after he was sold to Hong Kong buyers.

The Playing God three-year-old won four races and placed twice from eight starts, earning over $400,000 in prizemoney and bonuses.

He won the Listed J.C.Roberts Stakes (1800m) in March and ran third behind A Lot Of Good Men in the Group 2 WA Derby (2400m).

Sovereign Blast is also Hong Kong-bound; The Universal Ruler two-year-old didn’t make it to the races but was unbeaten in three trials.

Queen Alina has been retired. The Mahuta mare won the Listed ATA Stakes (2200m) and ran her final race when fourth in the Pinjarra Cup (2300m).