Cranbourne trainer Robbie Laing will saddle up two live wire chances in the Sir John Monash Stakes 2014 at Caulfield this Saturday with Lord Of The Sky and Mr Make Believe both accepted for the sprint showdown.
Lord Of The Sky is one of two 2014 Monash Stakes hopes for Robbie Laing. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
The $135,000 Group 3 Polytrack Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) is the only Group status race in the country this weekend, and two of the hopes will be representing Laing.
He’s got Group 1 spring ambitions for one of those, promising young Danerich colt Lord Of The Sky out to prove their potential on Saturday.
“He’s going very well,” Laing told the Racing Network on Tuesday.
The rising four-year-old has won four of their seven starts to date, most recently beating Elite Elle over 1000m at Caulfield on May 17 by one and a half lengths.
That gave them a nearly perfect record at the track with their only loss from five Caulfield runs being their dead last when outclassed in the Listed WJ Adams Stakes (1000m) at the start of February.
The Monash will be just their second stakes assignment then, and it is one Laing is hoping they handle so he can start plotting their Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival in earnest.
Also in the mix for the stable is Commands seven-year-old Mr Make Believe, previously prepared by Peter Moody and in Laing’s care for the past three months.
The veteran grey recently underwent throat surgery and is still relatively lightly raced for their age with 26 starts on their record.
After a first-up win at Caulfield in May they’ve been well beaten in their three subsequent runs.
Last start they were nearly 11 lengths off Second Effort when ninth in the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m), a run Laing hopes they can atone for and improve on in the Monash.
To help them out is the predicted wet Melbourne weather and the likelihood of a wet track that will suit Mr Make Believe, a winner of four of their five starts on Heavy ground, but perhaps not their youngster stablemate.
“He’s never raced on heavy ground, but he’s by Danerich and he was great on wet ground,” Laing said.
“He has trialled well on heavy tracks a few times, so we’re hoping it won’t be an issue for him on Saturday.”
Stay tuned to Races.com.au for the official Monash Stakes 2014 field and barriers due out shortly.
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