Unbeaten San Carlo faces his stiffest test to date on Sunday in the Mountain View Stud Breeders Crown Championship for four-year-old entires and geldings at Melton.
The Stephen O’Donoghue-trained son of Mach Three has been gapping his rivals of late, the highlight coming last month when he zoomed home by 32.8 metres at Melton to win a C0 final.
He backed it up in a C2 at Swan Hill as a $1.04 favourite last start, winning by 11.6m after working in the run.
“He surprised me a bit at Swan Hill. Down the back I wasn’t sure how he was travelling but then when it was time to go he put his foot down and did it well,” said driver Rebecca Bartley, who has piloted San Carlo at all five of his wins so far.
Bartley admitted that when San Carlo was a younger horse it would have been hard to predict he would develop a perfect picket-fence to start his career.
“He was real naughty as a youngster. He’d jump out of his gear all the time, but as time’s gone by he’s just gotten better and better,” the Shepparton reinswoman said.
At Swan Hill he rated 1:55.6 and covered the last half-mile in 57 seconds despite making a long run out three-wide with no cover.
On Sunday he’ll line up against the might of Messini and Hectorjayjay, to name just a couple, and Bartley admits it’ll be a huge step up for her charge.
“It is a bit step up and it’ll be interesting to see how he handles it. I don’t want to be too negative and don’t want to drive him like he’s outclassed,” she said.
“But hopefully they run along a bit up front and it allows the backmarkers to get into it.”
San Carlo has drawn barrier 12, while Messini has the pole and likely early leader Hectorjayjay comes out of barrier four.
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