OTI Imports Gearing Up At Werribee
- Tuesday, 30 September 2014 09:05
A Melbourne spring carnival wouldn't be the same without OTI Racing and its European invasion.
Simon O'Donnell, a director of OTI Racing, was at Werribee racecourse on Tuesday morning to see two of the four horses entered for the Melbourne spring go through their paces.
Renew and Van Percy are in quarantine after arriving in the first contingent of European horses last Saturday morning while Gatewood and Au Revoir arrive on October 11.
Van Percy was on his best behaviour for his canter while Renew was in a cantankerous mood before settling better on a second lap.
The Group Two Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) on October 11 is the likely kick-off for the pair as they vie for automatic entry into the Group One Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 18.
Should the pair miss a Cup start, O'Donnell said the Group Three Geelong Cup (2400m) on October 22, a race OTI has won three times with their imports, could be used as a lead-up to the Melbourne Cup.
O'Donnell said Renew, a five-year-old, had been gelded on the recommendation of trainer Marco Botti.
"In his three-year-old year he didn't show those signs," O'Donnell said of Renew's moody behaviour.
"As he got a bit older Marco said his performances went off, he started to get a bit sweaty and wouldn't keep his mind on the job.
"We hope here that he will adapt and enjoy his new surroundings and turn his form around."
Van Percy reminds O'Donnell of Bauer, runner-up in the 2008 Melbourne Cup.
"He's probably our modern day Bauer, just a different colour," he said.
"Every time he steps out you know what you are going to get. He's come here in good form and we're hopeful of him running well."
Gatewood, who won the 2012 Geelong Cup before being transferred to the stables of Chris Waller, returns in the care of previous trainer John Gosden.
The entire had four starts for Waller but failed to acclimatise. On return to Europe he's had 10 starts and hasn't finished further back than third including three wins.
"He didn't like Australia," O'Donnell said. "He ran 10 and 15 lengths below his standard and what he kept telling us was that he didn't like it here.
"We sent him back home and he found his form again. He came off a European campaign to win a Geelong Cup and hopefully he can do so again."
Au Revoir is a horse OTI has had for almost two years and has been kept in Europe with Andre Fabre getting ready for this spring campaign.
Following the Melbourne spring, Renew, Van Percy and Au Revoir will stay in Australia while Gatewood will return to Europe.
