Golden Slipper placegetter set for $2 million Kosciuszko assault

Trainer Gratz Vella has determined Music Time will be aimed at The Kosciuszko against older sprinters rather than the Golden Rose for three-year-olds during the Sydney spring carnival.

Vella said the appeal of The Kosciuszko for a country trainer was irresistible and feels the Golden Slipper placegetter will be better suited over the Royal Randwick 1200m course.

“The Kosciuszko is a $2 million race for country horses and that is hard for a battling bush trainer like me to ignore,” Vella told Racing And Sports.

“So, we are trying to plan for him to get to The Kosciuszko. We will see how the horse is over the next month and might look at a three-year-old lead-up race.”

Music Time will be attempting to become the first three-year-old to win the $2 million The Kosciuszko at The Everest meeting on October 17.

He is on the second line of TAB Fixed Odds betting for The Kosciuszko at $8 behind Torque To Be Sure at $6.

Music Time is also at $26 in early betting for the Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 26 where Golden Slipper hero Guest House is the $4.50 favourite.

“I just think the Golden Rose might be a bit early for him,” Vella revealed.

Music Time won three of his five starts during his juvenile season including his brilliant all-the-way effort on his home track in the Group 3 Black Opal Stakes at Canberra.

After Music Time pulled up so well following the Black Opal win connections decided to pay the $150,000 late entry fee into the Golden Slipper and were handsomely rewarded when the gelding ran an outstanding race to finish third, earning $425,000 for his minor placing.

Vella spelled Music Time after the Slipper and told Racing And Sports the gelding has returned to the stables “bigger and stronger”.

“He’s been back in a month, he’s grown and put on some weight which is what you would expect,” Vella said. “He’s doing everything right.”

Guest House and Blue Diamond winner Streisand were the only horses to beat Music Time home in the Golden Slipper and the form out of the world’s richest two-year-old race has been further franked by the subsequent efforts of fourth placegetter Campione D’Italia and Fireball (seventh).

Campione D’Italia came out next start and won the Group 1 ATC Sires with Fireball finishing third.

The two colts then clashed in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes where Fireball exacted revenge by narrowly beating Campione D’Italia.

“The form around Music Time is super,” Vella enthused. “It’s exciting to think what is ahead for him next season.”