Written by Paul Vettise
Archie Alexander will look to the staying division of his operation to lay the foundations for a successful spring.
The Ballarat conditioner has a number of distance prospects, most notably stable newcomer and Group 3 winner Young Rascal (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) and the well-performed Gallic Chieftain (Fr) (Tamayuz {GB}).
The former will make the second appearance of his campaign in Saturday’s Very Special Kids Pin And Win Plate over the more suitable trip of 2500 metres at Flemington.
Newmarket trainer William Haggas sent Young Rascal to Australia in the autumn in the company of Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who was a star of the Sydney carnival with Group 1 triumphs in the Ranvet S. and the Queen Elizabeth S.
He subsequently returned home and in one start since has finished runner-up in the G1 Prince Of Wales’s S. at Royal Ascot.
Cup success
Young Rascal also played a strong supporting role to his more-heralded stablemate and beat the highly-regarded Mugatoo (Ire) (Henrythenavigator {USA}) in the G3 Manion Cup before he struggled on a heavy track when the beaten favourite in the G1 Sydney Cup.
OTI subsequently purchased a controlling interest in Young Rascal and sent him to Alexander, who is expecting the 6-year-old to show improvement off the back of a first-up seventh in a 2000 metre handicap at Caulfield last month.
Young Rascal (Fr) (yellow silks)
“He hadn’t run for a while and it was too short for him. He’s better off at the weights and I expect him to run well,” Alexander said.
“The 2500 metres on the big track will suit him and we’re hoping to get to the G1 Caulfield Cup this preparation. He does stay so the G1 Melbourne Cup is in the back of our minds, but we will take it race by race.”
Gallic Chieftain, who also sports the OTI colours, won the G2 Chairman’s H. in the autumn and in the spring finished runner-up in the G1 Metropolitan H. He recently resumed from a break with an unplaced run in the Listed Heatherlie H. over an unsuitably short 1700 metres.
“He will be heading to the Metrop again and we’ve also got a new horse called Pappalino from France. He’s only just got here so he may be more of an autumn horse,” Alexander said.
“Gallic Chieftain will be heading to the Metrop again and we’ve also got a new horse called Pappalino from France." - Archie Alexander
A Listed winner, Pappalino (Fr) (Makfi {GB}) was purchased by stable client Tim Porter and has been successful four times up to 3000 metres and twice Group-placed.
Alexander also further black-type hopes for the lightly-raced Gamay (Pierro), who showed her quality last season when she progressed from a Ballarat maiden success to winning the G3 Ethereal S. two runs later and was spelled after running firth in the G1 VRC Oaks.
Although Gamay was out of the money when resuming, she pleased Alexander with her effort over 1400 metres at Caulfield last month.
Gamay (navy blue silks)
“She was really good and it was a bit short for her so I was happy. We’re realistic and we know she’s not going to win a G1 Cox Plate or a G1 Melbourne Cup, but hopefully she can win another Group race,” Alexander said.
“She will run at Flemington on Wednesday week in a benchmark race over a mile before she gets up to a distance and I think she will run well.”
