By MIKE DILLON
Graham Richardson's plans for Platonic are starting to look less ambitious.
Before the class mare started her current Melbourne campaign, Richardson declared he would like to aim her for next year's Cox Plate.
That looked less fanciful on Saturday when Platonic destroyed the opposition in the $A100,000 Summoned Stakes at Sandown.
The fact Platonic suffered from the effects of a stone bruise for much of the week made the ridiculously easy win all the more creditable.
"I nearly scratched her," said a much-relieved Richardson yesterday.
Platonic will return home immediately and be set for the cup carnival at Ellerslie with the group one Coolmore Classic in Sydney in the autumn as a major target.
She had only three starts in Melbourne and could easily have been more successful.
She finished second to fellow Kiwi mare Sequel in the $A250,000 Hardy Brothers Classic at Flemington on Derby Day after having to work out into the worst part of the track in the home straight.
This time she was given the perfect run in the trail by Matamata jockey Leith Innes before racing away to win easily.
"This was the first time she'd jumped away with the field," said Innes. "She's a funny mare. At home problem horses can be taken into the barriers last, but here they are not allowed to do that."
Platonic started 9-4 favourite on Derby Day at Flemington and punters backed up to send her out 3-1 favourite on Saturday.
Patrick Payne demonstrated why he is Australia's most underrated jockey with a daring all-the-way win on Brave Chief in the $A600,000 Sandown Classic. Payne and his mount won by nearly two lengths.
The old team of Lee Freedman and Damien Oliver took the $A250,000 Sandown Guineas with Scenic Warrior.
Racing: Classy Platonic slays opposition
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