Feroce back with more G1 targets

Last year’s Australian Guineas winner Feroce is set return to racing this Saturday at Caulfield, where his trainer Dom Sutton is hopeful he can re-affirm his Group 1 form of 12 months ago.

Sutton explained on Saturday that Feroce was likely to run first-up in the G3 Kevin Heffernan (1400m) in a race that is likely to dictate which path the four-year-old takes this autumn.

“He trialled on Friday (at Flemington) so we want to make sure he’s come through that trial,” Sutton said. “We haven’t made any set plans whether we go back to G1 level or stay in G2 or G3 level.
“He’s come back really well, and he did show us plenty in the spring so we’re hopeful. The beginning of the spring was really good for him as he ran a personal best when third in the G1 (Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes) and then we got things wrong tactically in the Toorak.

“After that, we went to Sydney (for the Golden Eagle) and it rained the morning of and the ground was horrific and he never went a yard in it.

“But he’s shown that he is up to that level and if he runs well on Saturday then he’d probably go to the (G1) Futurity Stakes two weeks later.”

Sutton said he carried some confidence that Feroce can compete successfully at G1 level this autumn as the subsequent record of Australian Guineas winners suggest.

Subsequent G1 record of Australian Guineas winners (past 10 years):

2024 – Southport Tycoon (went on to win the G1 Manikato Stakes)

2023 – Legarto (won G1 Herbie Dike Stakes)

2022 – Hitotsu (win G1 ATC Derby)

2021 – Lunar Fox – no more G1 wins

2020 – Alligator Blood (won six more G1s)

2019 – Mystic Journey (won inaugural $5 million All-Star Mile)

2018 – Grunt (won G1 Makybe Diva Stakes)

2017 – Hey Doc (Won G1 Manikato Stakes and G1 Winterbottom Stakes)

2016 – Palentino (won G1 Makybe Diva Stakes)

2015 – Wandjina (ran 2nd G1 All Aged Stakes)