Roulette King's Flemington prospects hinge on weather forecast
Trainer Trevor Rogers is not overly concerned about his useful galloper Roulette King being listed as an emergency for a race at Flemington.
Roulette King is the first reserve for the Listed Paris Lane Stakes (1400m) on Saturday, and the weather forecast appears favourable.
As of Wednesday's acceptance time, the Flemington track was rated a Good 3. However, predictions suggest 10 to 25mm of rain for Flemington on Thursday, 9-30mm on Friday, and 3-15mm on Saturday.
"I'm tipping the way the weather is going to be in the next couple of days, there will be a good chance of him getting into the race," Rogers commented.
Roulette King has secured four victories from his five career starts. The four-year-old gelding is being targeted for the prestigious $10 million Group 1 Golden Eagle (1500m) at Randwick on October 31.
Rogers decided against nominating Roulette King for the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate, reasoning that the gelding could contest these major races as a more mature five-year-old next year.
Saturday's run will be Roulette King's first outing since his triumph in the Alister Clark Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield in March.
With the Golden Eagle being the primary goal this campaign, Rogers aimed to avoid having Roulette King race too soon in his preparation.
"He is a horse that is a mile (1600m), mile-and-a-quarter (2000m) type of horse, so I didn't want him to be racing too early and have him looking for 1800 (metres) or 2000 when I'm trying to win over 1500 metres," Rogers stated.
"That's why he's racing Saturday over the 1400 (metres) and I want to see him at that trip.
"He has won twice at the trip before, but it was down in the grades, and this time he's first-up against better quality horses.
"I want to see if he's got a good enough turn of foot to warrant going to the Golden Eagle or whether I just think about pressing him up in ground.
"I didn't bother with the Cox Plate or Caulfield Cup this year as I don't think he's seasoned enough, but they could be races for him next year if he keeps going the way he's going.
"I thought 1500 metres, against his own age, for very good money, it was worth a shot, and after Saturday, if he shows enough ping, I've got four weeks to freshen him up again, for the Golden Eagle.
"Plus, he's only four once."
Roulette King has undergone four trials in preparation for his return. Rogers adopted a strategy from his former mentor, John Size, by having the gelding participate in a jump-out at Pakenham.
Rogers relayed that Size consistently maintained that transporting a horse 'makes them grow another leg'.
"He had eight weeks in the paddock after the Alister Clark, and it took a while to get him fit enough for Saturday and he's still not wound up yet," Rogers remarked.
"That's why I want to take him to the races, to have a look at him, and see if I'll have him ready in a month's time.
"He's such a laid-back horse. He doesn't switch on in his trials and in his last one, he just bowled around, but Motty said if he pulled him out and gave him one around the bum, he would have won it, but we're not about that (winning trials)."
Rogers confirmed that Jamie Mott put in considerable effort to make the 54kg weight requirement for Roulette King on Saturday and has a confirmed booking for the gelding in the Golden Eagle. Explore the competitive racing betting markets available on Australian betting sites.
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