Lindsay Park three-year-old Conqueror (Fastnet Rock) will be racing for a trip to New Zealand for a rich sales-restricted race when he returns from a short break at Caulfield.
Conqueror will run in a benchmark 78 race over 1400m on Saturday as a lead-up to the $1 million Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on January 25.
The Karaka Million is open to horses sold through the 2018 New Zealand National Yearling Sales Series.
Former Lindsay Park stablemate, recently retired Long Leaf, won the New Zealand race earlier this year with Conqueror, a $1 million yearling, to follow a similar program.
Long Leaf carried 58kg when second in a three and four-year-old benchmark 78 race over 1400m at Flemington on New Year’s Day in preparation for his New Zealand trip.
On Saturday Conqueror has 55.5kg with four-time winner Amadeus topweight with 62kg.
To date Conqueror is the winner of one race, a Pakenham maiden on the synthetic track, however Lindsay Park thought enough of him to test him in spring three-year-old features.
Conqueror finished third behind The Holy One in the Stutt Stakes at The Valley before running sixth in the Caulfield Guineas won by Super Seth.
He went on to finish fourth behind South Australian Dalasan in the Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington, winding up his spring with a second placing in the Sandown Guineas to Pretty Brazen.
Long Leaf had been competitive during his spring before going to New Zealand, but was kept to shorter races before running third to Ringerdingding in the 2018 Sandown Guineas.
Lindsay Park co-trainer Ben Hayes said Conqueror was working nicely at the stable’s country property at Euroa and was ready to give a good account of himself on Saturday.
“We’re following a similar program as to what we did with Long Leaf before he won in New Zealand,” Hayes said.
“We’ve kept him up at the farm to get him ready but he’ll come down during the week and run on Saturday.
“He’ll have that run and then we’ll get him over to New Zealand to run over the mile.
“He seems to be going really well.”
