Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde will give emerging talent Persian Spirit one more run with good reason in the Kensington Stakes at the New Year’s Eve meeting at Flemington on Wednesday.
One of the finds of the spring, Persian Spirit, showed a big turn of foot, winning at Flemington on Melbourne Cup and taking out the Gold Bullion at Pakenham and has Wilde ready to chase big autumn targets.
But he knows he needs rating points to fulfil his dreams.
“I thought why not go one more while he is going so good, and get his rating up,” Wilde said. “That will get him into some good races next time.”
“He is a five-year-old, so I don’t need to protect him, like if he was a three-year-old, and if he can win this race it would open options.”
“I’m thinking about the Newmarket with him, because he won down the straight first-up pretty impressively.”
“A win would give him a rating where we wouldn’t have to worry if he’s getting a run in the Newmarket.”
“He could have a short break and go there first-up, and if he ran well we could think about travelling a bit more.”
Persian Spirit will step out over 1400m as he has for his past three runs, where he has shown he can run a sizzling late sectional.
“The Flemington win really opened my eyes to what he can do. He probably should have won [the Tessa Rossa Stakes] at Caulfield as well and then he was just too good last time,” Wilde continued.
“We don’t know what his best trip might be, but we have time to work that out, which is going to be a bit of fun.”
“While he has this speed we can keep him to the shorter trips, but I think he might be pretty good at a mile as well.”
Persian Spirit is the $1.95 favourite for the Kensington Stakes and brings a great record at the trip with three wins and three placings from six starts.
“He is the sort of horse that is going to make 2026 pretty exciting for us,” Wilde said.
