Ciaron Maher will conduct extensive testing on Coolangatta after the King’s Stand Stakes favourite was underwhelming in her final serious hitout before her scheduled departure to England.
The last-start Black Caviar Lighting winner took part in a five-horse 900-metre straight-track jumpout, finishing third despite being urged along by jockey Ben Allen from around 200m from home.
Maher conceded the dual Group 1-winning filly was disappointing and will now look to see that there are no underlying issues with the daughter of Written Tycoon before flying out on Wednesday next week.
“She generally trials pretty sharp, she’s normally very obvious, so it was a little bit out character for her,” Maher, who trains in partnership with David Eustace, said.
“Obviously we’ll be going over her with a fine-tooth comb, just to make sure.
“We’ll analyse everything. Her recovery seemed pretty good to the eye, I’m wrap with her weight and how she looks, her action, but I just thought she would have been a little bit sharper late.”
Coolangatta finished about 3-1/2 lengths behind stablemate Field Of Flutes with Cannonball, who is also King’s Stand Stakes-bound, finishing two lengths clear of Coolangatta.
Artorius, who will run in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, finished last of the five runners, a length behind Coolangatta.
Artorius, who dead-heated for third in last year’s Jubilee Stakes, was under pressure before Coolangatta in the trial, but co-trainer Sam Freedman was satisfied with the workout.
“That’s probably as well as he can go down the straight with some sharp horses like that,” Freedman said.
“He closed it off well, it looked like he was probably just getting into his work late and his action looked good importantly.
“We’ve come to know he’s not a flashy trial horse, so that’s as good as we could expect.”
Brett Prebble flew down from Sydney to partner Cannonball in the jumpout and he said the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt looked on target.
“He was there for fitness reasons and that was his main last piece work before he goes over there,” Prebble said.
“His action’s great, he’s pulled up very clean in the wind so, if he travels well, he’ll perform well.”
The 1000m King’s Stand Stakes will be run on the first day of the Royal Ascot meeting, June 20, with the 1200m Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes to be run on June 24.
