Gregers On Song For Caulfield Sprint Race
- Thursday, 16 April 2015 07:35
A throat operation has smart sprinting mare Gregers back in stakes-winning form.
That's the consensus from Lindsay Park as Gregers prepares to add another black-type win to her record in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
Gregers charged home late in a 955m race on March 27 at Moonee Valley to be beaten in a photo by Group One winner Platelet who took an inside run.
"That was her first run back from a wind operation so all the signs are there that that's been a success. And she's been flying," co-trainer Tom Dabernig said.
Dabernig said Gregers' larynx wasn't working properly under pressure and connections had no hesitation in paying for wind operation.
"Just after the spring we had a bit of a window where we could do something and the surgeon was pretty confident that he could help it," Dabernig said.
Gregers is the $5 favourite for Saturday's 1100m race over a course and distance she won impressively at last August as well as finishing fourth in an Oakleigh Plate.
Her two Group wins have also been at Caulfield over other distances.
Stablemate Pago Rock resumes in the same race and has a good fresh record but Dabernig feels the seven-year-old will benefit from the run.
"He's a good tough sprinter. You wouldn't underestimate him but I'd be leaning to Gregers," he said.
Dabernig and his training partner David Hayes are three wins behind Darren Weir in the Melbourne trainers' premiership.
They have 11 runners at Caulfield including Group winner Star Fashion which Dabernig is confident is ready to hit form in the Racing Victoria Off the Track Plate after two unplaced runs.
"Her trackwork is probably as good as it's been. She's never normally a flash worker but on Monday she really worked like she's ready to run well," Dabernig said.
