Closer To Free's Coolmore Stud Stakes Ambitions Begin
The highly sought-after Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week is a key objective for connections of a promising three-year-old.
Trainer Danny O'Brien and the owners of Closer To Free are aligned in this goal. If the colt's form justifies it, the premier Group 1 race for three-year-olds over 1200 metres on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup carnival is their ultimate aim.
Closer To Free displayed significant promise across three starts in a brief autumn campaign as a two-year-old and is set to launch his three-year-old season in the Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
"It looks the right kick-off for him," O'Brien stated.
"He won over the course and distance in the autumn in the Blue Diamond Prelude and he's had a good build-up over the winter. He's had a quiet trial and then they ran a pretty quick time down the straight in his second one and he should be forward enough to run well first-up."
Closer To Free made an impressive winning debut on February 7, followed by a second-place finish in the prestigious Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield two weeks later.
The colt then concluded his juvenile season by finishing second last in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill the following month.
"Like all these horses, you want to see where they are at with their first run or two," O'Brien remarked.
"If everything fell into place, you would love to think that he would get to the Coolmore, but he has to put his hand up to show us that he's made that progression. The main thing is have they got the improvement in them from two to three to still be at the top level. All the signs are good. He's a beautiful colt and done everything right and I'm looking forward to running him again."
Closer To Free's second trial in preparation for his Saturday return was a 800-metre hit-out down the Flemington straight on August 3.
O'Brien suggested that, all going well, Closer To Free would contest the Group 3 Poseidon Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on September 12, providing him with essential race experience on the straight track in the lead-up to the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
"He's had a trial down the straight so if we decide to go down that straight track path, he's had some experience," O'Brien added. "There's a race there on Makybe Diva Stakes Day that may suit, and then he'll have race experience before the Coolmore if we head there."
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