Tashbeeh, Ruettiger to run in Sprint Final

The Lindsay Park team is set to be well-represented on Flemington Finals Day including two chances in the All Victorian Sprint Series.

Saturday’s program features the finals of a host of winter series races conducted in Victoria including the Listed finals of the Winter Championship, the All Victorian Sprint Series, Creswick Series and Taj Rossi Series.

Stablemates Tashbeeh and defending champion Ruettiger are scheduled to line up in the Sprint Series Final (1200m) with Tashbeeh not seen since winning the Listed Straight Six over the same course and distance on May 20.

“We’ve just kept him fresh and sprinting through this period so that he might have that residual fitness for the early spring,” co-trainer Tom Dabernig said.

“He’s just been at the farm at Euroa and we’ve been trying not to do too much but enough to keep him ticking over and have him ready for this race.”

Tashbeeh finished fourth in the Group One Memsie Stakes early this season.

The 1400m weight-for-age race next season on September 2, which has had a prize money boost to $1 million, is one likely target if the horse is in form.

Ruettiger won the All Victorian Sprint Series Final a year ago when trained by Lee and Anthony Freedman and will have his third start for the Lindsay Park stable on Saturday.

After being unplaced behind Tashbeeh in The Straight Six, Ruettiger finished third to Lord Da Vinci at Moonee Valley as he built towards Saturday’s target.

“His last start at Moonee Valley was much improved and he’s got a good straight record,” Dabernig said.

“First-up he was a bit underdone so I’m sure now his fitness is pretty well right.”

Last-start Moonee Valley winner Petrology is one of three likely runners for the stable in the $150,000 Winter Championship Series Final (1600m), along with Sovereign Nation and Mihany.