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Melbourne options for Luckygray
13 Jun 2012 | Racingandsports.com.au Perth star Luckygray will be given his chance to measure up the best in Melbourne this spring although trainer Gino Poletti is undecided if he will go down the W.S. Cox Plate path with the classy four-year-old.
Luckygray added to his growing reputation when he overcame a rough trip to win the Belmont Sprint (1400m) at Belmont last Saturday under 61kg to confirm his rating as the best horse currently in training in Perth.
The four-year-old copped a heavy bump on the home turn but sprinted brilliantly under his big weight to record a soft win by 1.5 lengths to back up his first-up win in the Roma Cup (1200m) at Belmont on May 26 and take his record to nine wins from 12 starts.
Poletti now plans to start Luckygray, the controversial protest winner of the G1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot last November, in the $125,000 Hyperion Strakes (1600m) at Belmont on June 23 before finalising his Melbourne program.
Poletti said he was considering the Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield on July 28 and the Aurie's Star Handicap at Flemington on August 11 as early Melbourne races for Luckygray.
"Plans for his Victorian trip will not be definite until after the Hyperion," Poletti said.
"We may go to Melbourne a fortnight later than originally intended then there's a decision on the length of his Victorian stay.
"He could have only a couple of races there before returning home to prepare for the Ascot carnival in November."
Luckygray's jockey Shaun O'Donnell is pushing POletti to aim for the $3 million W.S. Cox Plate over 2040m at Moonee Valley in October.
"Luckygray is the best horse I've been on," said O'Donnell, who has ridden Luckygray seven times for six wins.
"I reckon the Cox Plate is the one race he should be in when entries close for Melbourne's spring races. It could be his best distance.
Luckygray, by Magic Millions winner Bradbury's Luck, has had only one start beyond 1600m for a fifth in the G1 Kingston Town Classic over 1800m last November at the end of his last campaign.
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