Cat ready for Lightning return
Story By Jason Hickson
Wednesday, 23 January 2008: Cranbourne trainer Greg Eurell believes Apache Cat has returned to the stable “as well as ever” and is ready for a big autumn campaign.
The lightly-raced five-year-old won both the Bletchingly and Liston Stakes at his first two runs of last campaign before finishing runner-up behind Marasco in the Makybe Diva Stakes before another spell.
Eurell said the Lightning Stakes would be the starting point for the gelding in what is shaping as a hot field.
Apache Cat has an excellent fresh-up record with three wins and two minors from six starts. The only time he has raced over the 1000m journey was on debut which he won.
“It's a nice race to start off with but certainly a tough one, that's for sure,” Eurell said.
“It will be the toughest test he's had first-up but we thought we'd give him the opportunity to mix it with the real speedsters and see what he can do from there.”
Eurell said Apache Cat has had a good break, made longer by an adverse reaction to the EI inoculation, but was confident he would return to his best form this campaign.
“From the Lightning we'll probably go to the Australia Stakes then we'll decide where to go from there. There's plenty of options around for him.”
The Group 1 Coolmore Lightning Stakes is over 1000m down the straight at Flemington on February 3.
The Timbercorp Australia Stakes, also a Group 1 race, is over 1200m at Moonee Valley a fortnight later.
Eurell said he would then look at not only races in Melbourne but also Sydney and perhaps even the Brisbane winter carnival.
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