By Adam Hamilton
The groundwork is complete.
Former superstar juvenile Bling It On is primed to assert himself on the biggest stage.
After 12 months of calculated planning and “dips” into the big league, Bling It On will be unleashed on the Victoria Cup and Miracle Mile in coming weeks.
And judging by his stunning Bathurst win last Saturday night, the five-year-old is ready.
Bling It On showed all his brilliance when driver Luke McCarthy unleashed him with a brilliant midrace move to take the lead.
“From there it was over,” part-owner and breeder Harvey Kaplan said. “We were worried Keayang Steamer might get to the front before us, but when we did it was over.”
Just as impressive was the way Bling It On opened right up and thrashed a handy field by 16.2m.
His 1min56.3sec mile rate for 2260m was just 0.1sec outside the track record. He dashed home in 56.0 and 28.1sec.
“It was great to see him really run away from them like that, especially after he sprinted so fast midrace to get the lead,” Kaplan said.
“We’ve spent 12 months or so getting him ready for Grand Circuit racing, starting about 12 months ago when we ran him in one of the Miracle Mile lead-up races.”
Bling It On now heads to a Menangle free-for-all on January 9 then the Group 1 Ballarat Cup on January 23.
Then comes the $400,000 Victoria Cup a week later at Melton.
“If he happened to win the Victoria Cup he would be qualified for the Miracle Mile, so we would think about the Hunter Cup,” Kaplan said.
“Otherwise he’ll go straight from the Victoria Cup to one of the Miracle Mile lead-up races (Menangle on February 13).”
Kaplan excitement about the next two months extends beyond Bling It On.
He also part-owns star mare Nike Franco and gifted four-year-old Cruz Bromac.
Nike Franco qualified for the Ladyship Mile by winning the Group 1 Mares’ Championship on Inter Dominion day in Perth.
“She’s had some time off, but will run at Melton in a few weeks then go to a lead-up race at Menangle before the Ladyship,” he said.
Cruz Bromac, who struggled badly on the tight Gloucester Park track, looks a major Chariots Of Fire contender.
“There is a heat and final series in Victoria for him. The heat is next weekend,” Kaplan said.
“He then heads to Menangle for the Chariots qualifiers.
“He’s a really exciting horse. What he did in Perth was incredible given how much he struggled to handle the track.”
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