Trish Dunell Photography
Top New Zealand colt Summer Passage is making excellent progress toward a second trip across the Tasman.
The Hong Kong-owned son of Snitzel has been back in work with trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott since early May with plans for an early departure to Melbourne.
“We honestly couldn’t be happier with the horse,” O’Sullivan said. “He’s good in the coat and condition-wise as well, he’s looking great.”
Summer Passage, who travelled to Sydney in the autumn off the back of his Gr.1 Sistema Stakes victory at Ellerslie to finish runner-up in the Gr.1 Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick, is unlikely to make a public domestic appearance before he heads to Australia.
“He’s not that far off trialling and, at this stage, that’s likely to be at Flemington on August 27,” O’Sullivan said.
“Our preference is to go early and get him on the good tracks as soon as possible.”
Summer Passage is pencilled in to resume in the Gr.2 Danehill Stakes, a race won last year by the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Saracino, over 1200 metres on September 16.
“Our main aim will be the Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes so we want him to have some practice down the straight at Flemington before that,” O’Sullivan said.
The 1200 metre event has historically launched a number of successful stud careers, including in more recent years Northern Meteor, Sepoy, Zoustar and Brazen Beau and Summer Passage’s connections are hoping his name will be added to that list.
“He’s a New Zealand stallion at the moment and I guess the next step is to make him a serious Australian stallion,” O’Sullivan said. – NZ Racing Desk.