The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young Young stable was on weather watch early on Saturday morning.
Another downpour or shower would have placed Blind Raise in serious doubt of contesting the Listed McKensie Stakes (1300m) on Saturday with the gelding possibly being reserved for the Listed Michael Moroney (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday week.
While Sandown copped 7.2mm of rain in the early hours of Saturday morning, the track was posted a Soft 7 with Busuttin and Young happy to take their place.
Sent out the $3 favourite under Blake Shinn, Blind Raise scored a 1-¾ length win from Wolf Gap ($5) with Shooting Brake ($16) a further three-quarters-of-a-length away third.
Blind Raise puts them away in the McKenzie Stakes 💪@blake_shinn @busuttin pic.twitter.com/JJgnWqOJKX
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 5, 2026
“We don’t live far from here and it was pouring down and then at Cranbourne, at the track (this morning), it never misses it,” Busuttin said.
“It was touch and go and I sent out a late voice message (to the ownership group) saying we would probably scratch.”
While Blind Raise handled the soft track, Busuttin was more concerned in the pre-race parade with how the gelding had sweated up.
“That’s not him, he’s been bombproof all the way through,” Busuttin said.
“It was genuinely a concern and even in the running, in the first furlong, he was trucking a bit, but he had had only the one trial since Brisbane, so that will bring him on.
“It was pretty comfortable (in the end) and the second horse was pretty good.
“The watch was pretty good so we’re pretty happy.”
The Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 10 is on the radar for Blind Raise and Busutiin said the team would have a think about how to get to the contest.
The Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) on September 19 or the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield eight days later are likely to be on the agenda.
“It’s either the Prelude or the Stutt Stakes and just with him being a bit fresh and keen, I think a two-week turnaround to the Prelude will do him the world of good,” Busuttin said.
