Recon's Hareeba Stakes win prompts Carey Goodwood tilt

While Pat Carey trusts Recon's capabilities deeply, the gelding's debut fifth in a Flemington Listed race left him unprepared for the four-year-old to emerge as a single-digit price in Group 1 company so rapidly.

That changed with a brilliant second-start triumph in the Hareeba Stakes, prompting the shrewd Mornington trainer to target the $1 million The Goodwood using the largely unexposed gelding.

The gelding with limited starts exhibited marked enhancement, crushing competitors over 1200 metres in the Listed feature on April 18, his track's highlight occasion, affirming to Carey his suitability for South Australia's renowned sprint.

"After he won the Harbeeba, he jumped something like 17 (ratings) points, so it ruled out a lot of the last bit of progress through the grades he had," Carey said.

"So, he's basically obliged to run in sort of Listed-plus races now, anyway.

"We still think that there's more to come with him at 1400 and maybe further, but he deserves his opportunity at this level, at this time of his career."

That Hareeba Stakes victory was his sixth from 11 career runs, a record previously confined to no higher than benchmark 84 company before this season.

Since partnering with Harris Walker in 2023, Carey savours the prospect of a highly touted runner in a major sprint event.

Group 1 wins have come his way four times, though always at distances of 2400m or more, featuring Cederberg in the Tancred Stakes, Oaks winners Arapaho Miss and Gondokoro, and Ethiopia in the ATC Derby.

Carey remains pleased with Recon's condition post-Hareeba Stakes and expects a bold effort at Morphettville.

"He's been kept up to the mark, he had a nice gallop on the course proper at Mornington today and he's continued to hold good form," Carey said from Bendigo on Saturday.

"We're optimistic about where his future is going to take him."

In The Goodwood wagering, Recon is a $7 prospect behind joint $5 leaders Extragalactic and Flying For Fun.

Check out online bookmakers for competitive racing odds on The Goodwood.