The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable held out high hopes for Shaiyhar ahead of last year’s Spring Carnival.
The Irish-bred galloper who did his early racing in France, won twice over 2000m at Flemington in his first Australian campaign, but each time he when exposed to a longer distance he flopped when well in the market.
Busuttin and Young had hoped to get Shaiyhar to one of the big spring Cups, but after finishing fifth in the Group 3 JRA Cup (2040m) at Moonee Valley last October, it was decided to pull up stumps and give the gelding a break.
A pleasing first-up fourth in the Listed Anniversary Vase (1600m) at Caulfield on March 16 will be followed by Shaiyhar’s second-up run at the same track on Saturday when he lines-up in the Group 3 Easter Cup (2000m).
“This preparation he’s filled out and really come into his own,” Young said.
“These European horses, they do get better with each preparation, having a bit of time out and coming back in, and it seems to have really helped him.
“I thought he hit the line nicely first-up. We went back and he got run off his feet a bit early.”
Shaiyhar finished midfield over 1600m at Flemington on his Australian debut before progressing to 2000m to score at that track second-up.
Saturday’s race is a different assignment to the benchmark 84 grade the gelding defeated that day, but Young believes he has the class to do so.
Young said Shaiyhar had returned a bigger, stronger version this time around, and believes the gelding will handle getting out in trip this campaign.
“I think he’s a much bigger and stronger horse now, so we might give him another try over a bit of ground,” Young said.
“Last time we tried to push him to that stage and those headline races that were over a bit further, but we’ll play that a bit by ear now that he’s more acclimatised and a bit stronger.”
Stablemate Suizuro is also down to run in Saturday’s Easter Cup.
Suizuro is a last start winner of the Yarra Valley Cup (1950m) last month.
“They worked together earlier in the week and they both worked up well to suggest they’ll both run well on Saturday,” Young said.