Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman are hoping the gelding of Unition (Fastnet Rock) has done the trick.
The China Horse Club-owned three-year-old stood out as an early juvenile when winning the Listed Fasttrack Insurance 5K Bonus 2YO Stakes (1100m) on debut before placing in the Gr.2 Wakefield Stakes (1100m) in his only other two-year-old start.
However, the son of Fastnet Rock and Group One winning mare Diademe disappointed his connections with his first-up eighth-placing in the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and the decision was made to geld him.
Unition came through the operation well and showed positive signs when winning his 1000m trial at Te Aroha on Tuesday.
“It was a nice win,” Baker said. “He ran very disappointingly at Te Rapa first-up and he was immediately gelded.
“Let’s hope he is right now and has his mind on the job and can transform that form onto raceday.”
Nominated for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld 48th New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November, Baker said they are yet to decide his next step towards the three-year-old feature race.
“We haven’t really decided yet,” he said. “We will pick something out in the next few days for him.”
Meanwhile, the spring campaign of Group One winner Quick Thinker (So You Think) has ground to a halt, with the four-year-old entire currently undergoing a veterinary examination in Ballarat after his fifth-placing in the Gr.3 JRA Cup (2040m) last Friday.
“His campaign is on hold at the moment,” Baker said. “We are going to know more in the next couple of days. He was very disappointing the other day and we are just looking into it.
“He hung very badly so there is obviously something not right.”
