Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj) is one of 10 horses who have touched down in Western Australia on Tuesday, with the raiders met with scorching conditions ahead of The Pinnacles heating up and temperatures not expected to drop below 36 degrees until Saturday.
An unlucky runner in last Saturday’s Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are eyeing off the A$1.5 million Damien Oliver-Gold Rush (1400m) on December 16 with Ayrton, who is the early favourite.
“It’s a tough time for the horses who have just arrived because there is a heat wave on, so it’s like 38 to 40 degrees for the next few days,” Kent Jnr explained.
“He is staying at Simon Miller’s and he is going to venture down the beach a couple of mornings and try and stay as cool as possible.
“But he’s travelled really well.”
Having been saved from a nearly deadly spider bite earlier in his career, Kent Jnr said the horse appears to be in a great space physically and mentally after three runs this preparation.
“He was going to be a very, very smart horse early days and it’s no secret he spent a lot of time in hospital and possibly there was some hangover prep,” Kent Jnr said.
“The last two preparations he hasn’t quite been there for us, but the owners have been very patient and we’ve just started again fresh and he’s come up really well.
“He has his confidence up and has put in three really good runs, so we want to capitalise and win the big cash over in Perth.”
Ayrton was climbing over heels in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, finishing sixth, beaten by 3.35 lengths last Saturday.
“It was always going to be a busy race, it always is but we thought we would be a little handier and got buffeted around,” Kent Jnr said.
“I think the horse is going great, four weeks between runs is nice, 1400 metres is perfect and a big track at Ascot and dry ground is tick, tick, tick.”
Ayrton is a $6 chance with Sportsbet for the Gold Rush.
