Weeks wait to pay dividends at Sandown on AFL Grand Final day

Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have a couple of Group 1 contests in mind for stablemates who will run at Sandown looking to boost their chances of gaining a start in races at the highest level.

Muramasa and Craig were scratched from contests at Caulfield last week in preference for races on Saturday, seen by their trainers as winnable contests.

Craig heads to the Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) and a win in that race will see him then head to the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on October 12 while Muramasa is down to run in the Tile Importer Handicap (1800m) as a precursor to the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 19 for which he is 31st in the Order of Entry.

Young said bypassing a Caulfield race last week with Craig, where they were scheduled to meet Another Wil, was a wise call, although admitting Saturday’s race won’t be an easy test.

“We made the decision to dodge Another Wil as we’re trying to get that run in the Toorak, so we’re going to go to the Sandown Stakes,” Young said.

“He worked up super last Saturday morning, so he’ll be on track for a really big showing.”

After one start in the UK, Craig has had five starts on Australian shores, winning three times and placing on two occasions.

While he is showing outstanding promise, being a 109+ with RAS Ratings, Craig only won a benchmark 78 grade race at his most recent start at Caulfield on August 31.

On Saturday he rises to Group 3 level and tackles New Zealand Group 1 winner Desert Lightning who returned with a pleasing run at Moonee Valley for his new trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman.

“He’s ticking over really nicely and if he happens to win on Saturday, he goes into the Toorak two weeks later, and then three weeks later, hopefully into a Golden Eagle,” Young said.

“It works out nicely, but obviously we’ve got to win on Saturday, and if he doesn’t, then our plans will change a touch as he’s only on the cusp to get into a Golden Eagle with his rating.”

Stablemate Uncle Bryn joins Craig in the Sandown Stakes coming off a first-up 12th at Flemington where he was bogged down on a heavy track.

“He didn’t handle it at all, but he pulled up sound, and that’s really what it was all about coming back from injury,” Young said.

Muramasa is on a Caulfield Cup campaign and Young said looking back through his record last year he raced better with his runs spaced.

The gelding resumed with a first-up second to Pericles in the So You Think Stakes (1500m) at Moonee Valley on September 7, hitting the line well.

“We just found when he put those three wins in a row together last preparation, he was three weeks between each run, and he’s a horse that really thrives on that,” Young said.

“He’ll be on the cusp with the Caulfield Cup. We’re going to the 1800 (metres) which is a bit of a softer option for him and maybe he may get a little rehandicap if he wins.

“First-up at The Valley was huge behind Pericles on a tight course that doesn’t really suit him.

“I thought he was massive and when they have a really good turn of foot like that first up, sometimes it takes a little bit of the edge off them, so three weeks suits better for him going second-up.”