The Hobartville Stakes will be a pivotal race for Tulloch Lodge pair Converge and Silent Impact, albeit for slightly different reasons.
Co-trainer Adrian Bott is keen to see a bold showing from Converge to signal whether he should stick to his age group this autumn or take on the older horses deeper into the carnival, while for Silent Impact it will be an opportunity to prove he is up to the better-class three-year-olds having done the bulk of his racing in benchmark company.
Saturday’s 1400m assignment will be Converge’s second run back after he missed most of the spring due to illness. A Group 1 winner at two, the gelding returned with a solid third to Paulele in the Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) and speaking on Sky Sports Radio on Wednesday, Bott said he expected him to strip much fitter.
“His condition just gave out there late (first-up) but I thought he ran excellent. That was what we were hoping to see,” Bott said.”I always felt keeping him to a three-year-old campaign, at least through the Randwick and Rosehill Guineas, would be a natural path for him with the Derby and all that in mind.
“Saturday is probably going to really be an important step for us to really cement what those next few runs will look like.”The Hobartville will be a strong litmus test for Converge given the presence of Anamoe, who has already proven his mettle against the older horses with a luckless second to State Of Rest in the Cox Plate.
Silent Impact is on an ATC Australian Derby path and while Bott expects him to excel over longer distances, he also wants to see the horse stand up in the Hobartville.
“Again, it’s a really important step for him for the campaign because he would be on a very similar path to Converge,” Bott said.”He hasn’t been tested too much at this level against this calibre of horse, but I do feel he is well and truly capable of measuring up against them.
“I really feel he is a Derby type of horse for us, and I think he will excel once he can get out to that trip.”
Caulfield Guineas runner-up Captivant was not paid up for the Hobartville Stakes and will instead head to Melbourne to tackle the C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday with James Mcdonald to ride.
Anamoe is a $1.80 favourite to return to the winner’s circle in the Hobartville following his first-up defeat in the Expressway Stakes with Converge on the second line of Hobartville Stakes betting at $5.50 and Silent Impact an $11 chance.