Brilliant South Australian sprinter Sghirripa is ready to take the next start into the Oakleigh Plate after claiming a second stakes win
He has already booked his place in the Oakleigh Plate and high-class sprinter Sghirripa locked in a spot in the Newmarket Handicap with a big win in the Standish Handicap at Flemington.
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If potential topliner Sghirripa was looking for competition, he would have left Flemington disappointed after Saturday’s Group 3 Standish Handicap.
The South Australian-trained sprinter started at $2.10 after his impressive win in the Listed Christmas Handicap at Caulfield but the Flemington straight proved the gelding’s playground in the $250,000 Standish Handicap.
Winning rider Craig Newitt said the Shane and Cassie Oxlade-trained Sghirripa was going that easily when the pressure lifted that he was pulling for rein, wanting to go faster.
“Not very often you get to the 400(m) and they start over-racing on you,” Newitt said.
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â Racing.com (@Racing) January 13, 2024
The South Australian takes out the Standish Handicap in a canter for Shane & Cassie Oxlade â¡ï¸ @craig_newittpic.twitter.com/louwWnbCEY
“That’s when I had to come out and give him a bit of room.”
Sghirripa left his six rivals standing when he quickened before coasting to the line three lengths ahead of Crosshaven and Curran, who dead-heated for second.
Newitt said Sghirripa wanted to race in the concluding stages but his opposition couldn’t compete with the son of Lonhro.
“I exposed him early and the last 300m, he was just floating around waiting for some competition,” Newitt said
“I don’t think I got anywhere near the bottom of him as well.
“I knew I was on the right horse and he just deadset cruised.
“We’ll take it one step at a time but he’s pretty exciting.”
Next month’s Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield was one of the planned next steps for Sghirripa after the four-year-old earned a ballot exemption for his Christmas Handicap win.
Sghirripa now has a ballot exemption for the $1.5 million Newmarket Handicap at Flemington in March after his Standish Handicap triumph.
Shane Oxlade, who rated Sghirripa the best horse he has trained, said he would consult with Newitt before determining whether the speedster’s program would also take in the Newmarket Handicap.
TAB has Sghirripa at $26 in its ‘all-in’ Newmarket Handicap market.
“He was super today,” Oxlade said.
“He’s such a sensible horse and he just does everything you ask a good horse to do.
“Things can always change but he’ll leave (Melbourne) Sunday night and be home Monday morning, be in the paddock Tuesday morning for eight or 10 days and that gives us time to make up our mind.
“That (the Oakleigh Plate) has been the plan and, at this stage, it won’t change.
“We’ll do one thing at a time.”
Originally published as Brilliant South Australian sprinter Sghirripa is ready to take the next start into the Oakleigh Plate after claiming a second stakes win