By MIKE DILLON
Going from the first serious gallop of a new preparation in a barrier trial to a 1500m race in Sydney within 11 days seems extreme, but Bruce Wallace says Able Master can cope.
Wallace also understands that most trainers would not consider starting a horse in a 1600m trial without the benefit of a full out gallop, but he has learned a lot about this year's Blue Star Auckland Cup winner.
"Last year I started off his racing at 1300m and jumped him straight up to 1800m next time and I was worried, but he coped beautifully.
"I think he's one of those natural stayers you can do that with."
Able Master easily won his 1600m trial at Ruakaka on Tuesday and was flown to Sydney last night to prepare a build-up to October's $A600,000 Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick.
"He'll kick off in a 1500m welter at Rosehill on Saturday week. He'll get plenty of weight, but that will be balanced a bit by the 1.5kg we'll claim off with senior apprentice Jason Lee in the saddle."
Two weeks after Rosehill, Able Master will run in the Kingston Town Stakes followed six days later with the weight-for-age Hill Stakes.
"The programming is not ideal because there is then a three and a half week gap to the Craven Plate, which will lead into the Metropolitan."
Able Master's Auckland Cup-winning jockey Grant Cooksley, currently riding in Singapore, will be back in Sydney in time to re-unite with the horse for the Kingston Town Stakes.
Wallace has been keen to get Able Master to Sydney as soon as possible.
"The AJC is re-opening the all-weather track tomorrow morning after closing it while all the work has been going on at Randwick putting the tunnels under the track.
"The cranes are all still in place, which is a pain, but at least we will have a good track to work on. It's been chaotic there. I sent Viper Corp over there for his first-up race last Sunday and because of the closure of the tracks at Randwick he wasn't able to work the Friday and Sunday leading up to the race.
"It cost him dearly because he was travelling beautifully until he ran out of fitness in the home straight.
"Darren Beadman said it was just a matter of how much he was going to win by at one point, then two strides later he hit the wall. All he needed was good hard galloping."
Viper Corp's mission is the 2000m Spring Championship Stakes at Randwick.
Last spring Able Master was badly inconvenienced by a wet track in the Metropolitan Handicap, but was still only just beaten by Queensland-trained, former Kiwi stayer Vitaman.
Wallace said he'd considered running Able Master in Saturday's Warwick Stakes, but felt the 1300m was not a sufficiently testing distance.
Happyanunoit will attempt to win her third grade one race in Arlington on Sunday morning New Zealand time and Trackside will have delayed coverage.
The former New Zealand mare is pre-post favourite for the $US500,000 Beverley D. Stakes, run at just after 8am New Zealand time and Trackside will telecast the race at 11.45am and again at 1.50pm.
The Oaks Stud is assisting with sponsorship of the coverage.
Happyanunoit is in career-best form, coming off a three-length win in the Beverley Hills Handicap at Hollywood Park on July 2.
The Beverley D. Stakes is run over a distance of 1m 3/16.
Racing: Stayer a master at coping with pressure preparation
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