Handle The Truth's Kosciuszko defence took another progressive step in the Friday twilight at Thoroughbred Park, with the defending champion winning a trial.
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Keith Dryden's five-year-old ran the 900m trial in 53.2 seconds and came home in 33.4 seconds over the last 600m to edge out talented Kurt Goldman youngster Private Agent under the gentle urgings of Billy Owen.
He'll trial again in two weeks, then run first-up in either the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) or a Benchmark 88 Handicap (1200m) at Randwick, before running in the Kosciuszko (1200m) on October 17.
"I thought he went super. Billy did say to me he had him covered all the time, the other horse, I just let him do enough to what he had to do to win it," Dryden said.
"Billy's struggling with his weight at the moment. I said you'd have been carrying a bit over 60 [kilograms], he said closer to 70."
Meanwhile, Nick Olive is eyeing off next Sunday's Dubbo Cup after Pecuniary Interest's impressive second-up win in the Benchmark 65 Handicap (1600m) at Canberra on Friday.
The four-year-old missed the kick from gate two, but mustered plenty of early speed to settle just off the pace.
Jockey Ellen Hennessy stuck to the rail and kicked clear over the final furlong to put the writing on the wall for what promises to be an impressive spring campaign.
"He always begins slow, it's just something that he does unfortunately but because he's drawn a good gate, he could muster up and get a position again," Olive said.
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"I wasn't too worried about that today, I actually told the stewards before the race and they announced it, he was going to be ridden closer.
"The Dubbo Cup's on next Sunday...it might be too strong for him but I might throw a nom [nomination] in and just have a look at it.
"He's a horse on the way up and he won with a big weight today, he'll get down in the weights with that. He's definitely stepping up to bit better races now for sure."
"I'd have to sit down and have a look to be honest. You love it when these ones sneak up on you, you've got to look for better races.
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
