China Sea continues on G1 Australian Derby path
China Sea, a Victoria Derby placegetter, is preparing to move closer to his autumn carnival goals in Sydney with a run in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas.
The 1600m Randwick Guineas for three-year-olds on Saturday will be China Sea’s second race of the campaign, after a less-than-ideal return in the 1400m Hobartville Stakes, where Broadsiding, the early favourite for the Randwick Guineas, took first place.
Trainer John Sargent is optimistic about how China Sea is progressing this autumn, especially as he gears up for races over 2000m and 2400m.
“He just needed it (in the Hobartville), so he’ll improve with that and go from there to the Tulloch Stakes and then to the Derby,” Sargent commented.
“I think he’s a stronger horse and bigger than he was down at Flemington (in the spring), so I think you’ll see a serious three-year-old when he gets out past a mile,” he continued.
Having begun his career with a 1400m maiden win at Kembla as a late-season two-year-old, China Sea began to find his best form last spring when racing over longer distances.
He finished second in the Caulfield Classic over 2000m and later placed third in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington.
Sargent explained that China Sea was outpaced in the 1400m race but expects him to show more in the Randwick Guineas, with a focus on getting him in top shape for the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) and the Group 1 ATC Australian Derby (2400m) in the coming weeks.
“They sprinted and he couldn’t really go with them,” Sargent said about China Sea’s performance in the Hobartville.
“As long as he’s hitting the line I’ll be happy and then when we get to the Tulloch and the Derby he should be at his peak,” he added.
“He’s a big, gross horse but I’m really happy with him,” Sargent concluded.
For China Sea’s stablemate, French Ruler, Sargent is considering the Listed Canberra Guineas (1400m), which is scheduled for the day after the Randwick Guineas.
Broadsiding, a three-time Group 1 winner, is the $1.60 favourite for the Randwick Guineas, while China Sea is currently priced at $51.
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