The decision to bypass the Victoria Derby with Gamblin’ Guru rests easily with trainer Leon Macdonald who has ambitions to get him to the Sydney carnival.
Gamblin’ Guru won the Geelong Classic, a traditional Victoria Derby lead-up, but Macdonald and owner Harry Perks determined he was too immature to tackle the blue riband which they won with Rebel Raider in 2008.
The two brought Gold Guru to Sydney from Adelaide in 1998 to claim two of the biggest scalps when the gelding beat Might And Power in the BMW and Tie The Knot in the Australian Derby.
Gamblin’ Guru is by English Derby winner New Approach out of Glory Guru, a half sister to Gold Guru.
Macdonald, who now trains in partnership with his son-in-law Andrew Gluyas, sees some family traits but says Gamblin’ Guru is still learning his craft.
“We stepped up his work last week and he is handling it well,” Macdonald said.
“He has strengthened up and is more mature but still has some developing to do and we’ll see how he goes over the next few weeks.
“We hope to get him to Sydney.
“He’s talented and we know he can stay and he handled the wet track at Geelong which he could get in Sydney.”
The Geelong Classic was run on a heavy track and Gamblin’ Guru showed tenacity to keep going strongly to the line for Steven Arnold.
Macdonald said he had not yet finalised the three-year-old’s program but would look at a race close to home for his return.
The $2 million Australian Derby (2400m) is at Randwick on April 12, the first of two Saturday’s renamed The Championships and culminating in Sydney’s richest race, the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes.