Salsonic zeroes in on Villiers Stakes

Salsonic takes the next step on a campaign aimed at the Villiers Stakes when he runs at Rosehill.

Jason Coyle believes Salsonic is tracking nicely for the Villiers Stakes as he employs the same strategy that culminated in gelding’s black-type success during the Brisbane carnival.

Salsonic nailed his target in Brisbane in June when he claimed the Group Two Queensland Guineas at Doomben at the fourth start of his preparation.

The second stage of a campaign geared at the Group Two Villiers (1600m) at Randwick on December 16 begins at Rosehill on Saturday.

The Warwick Farm trainer will saddle the four-year-old in the November Handicap (1400m) before Salsonic steps up to 1500m for the Festival Stakes on December 9 at Rosehill.

“Hopefully fourth-up and a similar time-frame to the last prep should mean he’ll be on his game and cherry ripe for the mile,” Coyle said.

He admitted Salsonic wasn’t quite up to the mark when he resumed in the Filante Handicap (1400m) at Randwick on October 28, when he was unplaced on unsuitable rain-affected ground.

“He really struggled to travel on the track that day. Jason Collett said at no stage did he feel comfortable in the going,” Coyle said.

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“It probably looked a shade disappointing. Fitness-wise he went in there a little bit underdone.”

Coyle said Salsonic’s stablemate Siren’s Fury was due for a change of fortune in a Benchmark 80 Handicap (1400m) after both starts this preparation were underscored by no luck in running.

The mare was blocked for a run in the straight in her last start at Rosehill before finishing fourth in a Benchmark 83 Handicap.

A fortnight earlier she was checked near the 200m in the Group Three Nivision at Randwick en route to running eighth.

“Hopefully there’s no hard luck stories this weekend, I think she looks well placed against her own sex,” Coyle said.

He said White Moss had been sent for a spell after the mare finished second last in the Group Three Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.

“It definitely wasn’t the horse we had in Sydney the couple of starts before,” Coyle said.

“She’ll have a break and then we’ll decide whether we come back in autumn or target winter.”