Gai Waterhouse will target the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes with Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente. Picture: David Caird Source: News Limited
SYDNEY'S big new autumn prizes will not rob Melbourne's Festival Of Racing of a prize drawcard.
Trainer Gai Waterhouse revealed yesterday that Melbourne Cup hero Fiorente was likely to first target the Australian Cup at Flemington before being aimed at the big bucks in Sydney.
The Victoria Racing Club had feared the phenomenal prizemoney injection for next season's Sydney carnival, including a $4 million stake for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, would have a negative impact on its autumn carnival.
Robbie Laing had earmarked the Australian Cup for his Victoria Derby winner Polanski, guessing horses like Fiorente would campaign exclusively in Sydney.
But Waterhouse said she was keen to first bring Fiorente back to familiar territory.
Gai Waterhouse wants Fiorente to start his autumn campaign in Victoria. Picture: Mark Evans Source: News Limited
The $1 million Australian Cup is run over 2000m at Flemington on March 8. The Queen Elizabeth is run at Royal Randwick on April 19.
"We haven't finalised anything yet, we'll have to sit down with the owners, but I am keen to have a Victorian campaign first,'' Waterhouse said.
It is likely Fiorente would resume in Melbourne, run second up in the Australian Cup and then use the BMW at Rosehill as his final lead-up for the Queen Elizabeth.
"We'll have everything mapped out in the next couple of weeks,'' she said.
Fiorente has been resting at a property near Hawkesbury since his triumph as favourite in the Melbourne Cup.
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