David Jolly will have two sprinters across two states on trial for the Adelaide Racing Carnival this weekend.
Gaze Grise returns to Melbourne hoping to add another Moonee Valley 955m victory to her growing resume while Appalachian will return fresh on the Morphettville Parks track on Saturday.
Jolly said Gaze Grise was a horse suited by the travel.
“She can be a cantankerous little thing, so the trip away seems to agree with her,’’ Jolly said.
“She was eligible for the 955m final next week, but we thought this race was a better option and it could also set her up for the sprint at Oakbank going forward,’’ he said.
Gaze Grise ran 55.04sec winning her Benchmark 70 race back in November, the fourth fastest time recorded so far this season, and will need to beat Curran’s time of 54.61sec to secure Jolly the $55,000 cheque as the trainer with the fastest horse of the season.
Jolly said the $127,750 Listed Hills Railway Stakes at Oakbank loomed a nice race back home for the talented grey, a race that also caries a $25,000 bonus if the winner can go on and place in either the Group 1 Sangster Stakes or Group 1 at Goodwood during May.
Appalachian has been kept fresh by Jolly for his Morphettville mission and he said if the best version of the horse turns up on Saturday, he’ll be hard to beat.
“The horse is well, but you never know with him,’’ Jolly said.
“Gatty (Paul Gatt) gets along with him and if the horse is on his game, he’ll be hard to beat,’’ he said.
Jolly also has Yeelanna on the quick back-up after she was disqualified from Morphettville last Saturday when her saddle shifted early in the race and her rider Sophie Logan subsequently weighed in light.
“She’s an honest mare and likes the 1250m at the Parks,’’ Jolly said.
“When the saddles goes like that, they normally finish tailed off, so she did a good job.
“She handles the back up and should run well,’’ he said.
