Blind Raise commences Caulfield Guineas pursuit at Sandown

The connections of Blind Raise harbour aspirations for the colt to be a prominent contender in upcoming spring features, with his campaign set to commence at Sandown.

The colt is slated to run in the Listed McKenzie Stakes (1300m) on Saturday, a race that could potentially lead to a Group 1 race, or two, in Melbourne and Sydney.

The Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 10 and the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick two weeks later are on the radar for the galloper trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.

However, he must first successfully navigate Saturday's event.

Busuttin mentioned that the distance at Sandown convinced the team it was an appropriate starting point.

Saturday's meeting is a Moonee Valley Racing Club fixture, and had the race been contested at The Valley, it would have been over 1200 metres.

As the track is currently undergoing a rebuild, the fixture has been relocated to Sandown.

"He's forward enough to run well," Busuttin commented.

"If this race was 1200 metres, we'd be waiting for the Mike Moroney (1400m at Flemington on Saturday week), so the way it has fallen, 1300 metres at Sandown, it's perfect first-up. He'll be strong late."

Blind Raise achieved victory in his initial two starts, both at 1400m, prior to travelling to Queensland where he finished in the middle of the field in the BRC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m).

"He pulled up full of mucus up there," Busuttin revealed.

"It was too bad to be true, so we didn't push on and he had a month off up there. If they're running in Queensland, they can only have two or three weeks off, but it appears to help them being up there. Years ago, everyone used to do it, and for whatever reason people stopped, but now they've gone back to doing it. Does it do them any good, I don't know. If they're a good horse, they can come from anywhere."

Busuttin is hopeful of discovering just how good Blind Raise is this campaign.

He identified the Caulfield Guineas as the logical race to target.

"But you have to get there," Busuttin stated.

"The Caulfield Guineas, then the Spring Champion Stakes, that might be a nice race for him, but in a perfect world, he will end up in the Caulfield Guineas."

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