Stage set for Ayrton’s arrival

[Wandering Eyes]

Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are hoping to have another Group 1 winning weekend with a two-pronged attack on the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Leading their charge is the talented Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj), sitting second favourite behind I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel).  Their other starter will be six-year-old mare Chaillot a recent stable addition.

Kent said the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes was a suitable assignment for Ayrton as he excels at Caulfield first-up.

“He’s four from four at Caulfield and he’s four from four first-up. He loves the distance so it all bodes well for him,” Kent said.

“Is he fully screwed down? No. As Mick Price said, ‘if it was a normal race you say he’d win’, but because it’s a G1 Handicap, he’s going to need the right run.

“He’s going great. He had a Queensland spell after the Stradbroke. He’s forward in his coat and condition, and we think it’s a good plan. He’s going to get 55kg and Damian Lane will ride him.”

Ayrton has won six of his 10 starts but blotted his copybook at his last two runs in Queensland over winter with an eighth in the Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast before a seventh in the Stradbroke Handicap.

Kent described the Queensland campaign as “a messy one.”

Ayrton has had only one other start this year which produced a win in the G3 Victoria Handicap over 1400m at Caulfield on Easter Saturday.

He took out a Cranbourne trial over 990m on September 5, with Chaillot finishing sixth in the same trial.

Chaillot was trained by Archie Alexander and was a G3 winner of the Frances Tressady Stakes in 2021 and she also finished fourth in the G1 Empire Rose Stakes, also at Flemington in 2020.

Sold by OTI Racing at the Magic Millions Broodmare sale for $400,000 in June her new owners, Trilogy Racing, decided to give her another campaign with Price and Kent.

“She’s a new addition and she’s a mare with a booming finish on her. She’s down in the weights and she’s probably better on a big track. Her owners bought the mare to upgrade her pedigree so we’ve got to have a go at these races,” he said.

Although Chaillot is a six-year-old mare she has been lightly raced, having won five of her 13 starts.

“She’s been trained down at the beach so we’re happy with her and she’s in good form.”

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