Light prep for top class colt Weatherly

Trainer Paul Messara is planning to give exciting sprinter Weatherly a light preparation before aiming at a Group One sprint during the autumn carnival.

Weatherly won a 900m trial at Rosehill on Monday morning, with Messara labelling the colt “top class”.

He won a trial at Scone on October 23 and Messara said he may have another hit-out before returning to competitive racing.

“He’s probably going to enter back into the benchmark scene in handicaps and see how we go from there,” Messara said.

“He’s a very good horse but he’s had a couple of little hiccups and the time of year now is difficult.”

Messara said the Galaxy over 1100m at Rosehill in March shaped as a Group One option for Weatherly.

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Messara trained Weatherly’s sire, the late Beneteau, who got his first Group One winner at stud with Lasqueti Spirit’s boilover VRC Oaks (2500m) victory.

“Beneteau never got a chance to race over much further but no doubt he would have got a trip in time,” Messara said.

“I thought maybe 2000 metres as a later horse.”

Beneteau died from a neurological condition in 2013 after his second season at stud.

“It’s a shame we lost him because statistically he was going to be a top-class stallion but that’s the way it is,” Messara said.

He said Weatherly had the potential to join Lasqueti Spirit as one of Beneteau’s best offspring.

“It’s just a matter of the horse staying sound,” he said.