Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are ready for a sharp, short preparation with Sir Delius, which will focus on 2000m after Saturday’s Verry Elleegant Stakes at Randwick.
The imported five-year-old was last seen winning the Turnbull Stakes at the beginning of October before being ruled out of the spring by Racing Victoria vets following scans.
“He is going to be below his best trip at the mile, but it is a starting point for them,” Bott said. “We have gone through all the processes to get back to the races and he is going well.”
“It was always going to be a tough task against horses which have had a run and have a fitness edge on him.”
“But the way Autumn Glow came back was very impressive, and she is going to be very hard to beat at the mile.”
Sir Delius is a $7 second favourite behind Autumn Glow at $1.40 after he raced into being Cox Plate favourite with wins in the Underwood Stakes and Turnbull.
Bott said the program would take Sir Delius through the Ranvet Stakes before his ultimate target of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on the final day of The Championships.
He is the $3 Queen Elizabeth favourite.
“We know he is very good at 2000m, so we structured the program to get him very quickly to that trip,” Bott said.
“The horse has taken every step required to get cleared to race and we think he is ready to reinforce his class.”
