Oak Hill primed for Flemington straight test, as Michael Moroney stable sweats on emergency General Firepower gaining a start on Saturday

Future plans for exciting Oak Hill should become clearer after the VRC Country Race Day Sprint (1100m) at Flemington.

Oak Hill in full flight at Sandown. Picture: Pat Scala/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Future plans for exciting Oak Hill should become clearer after the VRC Country Race Day Sprint (1100m) at Flemington.

Oak Hill has surged back to Saturday class after emphatic back-to-back midweek Sandown wins to emerge as a potential spring candidate.

Assistant trainer Glen Thompson, set to join Michael Moroney on the ticket next season, said Oak Hill has impressed since the latest Sandown performance a fortnight ago.

FIELDS AND FORM FOR FLEMINGTON ON SATURDAY

“He’s looking very well, we were very happy with his work on Tuesday,” Thompson said.

“We’d like to see him go there (Flemington) and do everything right, that’s the main thing, and his class shines through.

“He’s an exciting horse, got a lot of upside, and IT will be interesting to see where he gets to.

“If he lives up to expectations there will definitely be races for him in the spring.”

Oak Hill is $5.50 second favourite with TAB behind Sydney raider The Black Cloud ($2.80).

Marble Nine ($7) and Apparatus ($8.50) are the only other starters in single figures.

Oak Hill is expected to handle the straight course at Flemington.

"He's a pretty good horse that bloke..."

Oak Hill savages the line over 1000m at Sandown 🚀 @[e-mail]/Njh3zCeijk

— Racing.com (@Racing) June 5, 2024

Champion jockey Blake Shinn has picked up the ride on Oak Hill with Damian Lane in Japan for the Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen (2200m) at Kyoto on Sunday.

“I know Damian’s concern was the tempo of the races up the straight,” Thompson said.

“He can do a few things wrong early in his races (mentally) and get impatient, but the other day he was a lot more professional.

“He hasn’t been up the straight, he’ll either handle it or he won’t, but we wouldn’t be running there if we didn’t think he would, hopefully he can run up to his best.”

Thompson has three potential starters for Moroney on Saturday at Flemington, with General Firepower, second emergency in Race 7, and Burlington Gate fancied in Race 8.

General Firepower, a $4.20 third favourite in the VRC-CRV Trophy (1420m) should he gain a start, pommeled a handy field at Sandown last start by 4.5 lengths.

“He worked with Oak Hill and went as good as him,” Thompson said.

“Hopefully he can get a run and get another good result with him.”

Burlington Gate, an $8.50 chance in the Brian Beattie Handicap (2000m), has finished top three in the past five starts, including a Ballarat win last month.

“She was unlucky the other day (Flemington, third) not to finish a lot closer, if she takes her recent form to the races she’ll be very competitive,” Thompson said.

Originally published as Oak Hill primed for Flemington straight test, as Michael Moroney stable sweats on emergency General Firepower gaining a start on Saturday