Veight building up for Golden Eagle campaign with gallop at The Valley

Trainer Tony McEvoy took Group 1-winning four-year-old Veight to The Valley on Tuesday to continue his preparation for a Group 1 contest ahead of the $10m Golden Eagle in Sydney.

George Ryder Stakes winner Veight is likely to return to Sydney for the $10m Golden Eagle on November 2. Picture: Getty Images.

A gallop at The Valley on Tuesday was part of the plan to get Group 1-winning stallion Veight to a $10 million contest in Sydney in the spring.

Veight finished second in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas last spring but broke through at the highest level in the George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill in March.

Co-trainer Tony McEvoy said returning to the Rosehill 1500m course for the $10 million Golden Eagle on November 2 was the main spring goal for Veight.

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He said Veight would have lead-up runs in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes on September 27 and the $1 million Silver Eagle at Randwick on October 19.

“We’re just keeping him under that mile distance and against four-year-olds in the Golden Eagle, and it looks a cracking race,” McEvoy said.

Veight won the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at The Valley first-up last time in and the McEvoys are aiming for a repeat fresh win in the $1 million Manikato Stakes.

Regular rider Damian Lane rode Veight in his gallop at The Valley on Tuesday morning alongside three-year-old Dublin Down, who had Jamie Kah aboard.

Veight (left, Damian Lane) and Dublin Down (right, Jamie Kah) worked together at The Valley on Tuesday morning. Picture: Getty Images

McEvoy said the duo was not out to break records but Veight did enough to make the trip from Ballarat worthwhile.

“They weren’t sent out to see how good they are,” McEvoy said.

“They were out to have a nice familiarising gallop and a trip away from home.

“We got the stimulation I think we needed and he behaved himself very well.

“He’s a horse that can lay out a little bit in his races and he has in the past but he went pretty well today.”

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McEvoy said Veight would trial at Cranbourne on Monday, which left him ample time to get the son of Grunt close to peak fitness for the Manikato Stakes.

“He’ll go to Cranbourne for the trials and we’ve got time on our side, he’s not running until the 27th of September in the Manikato,” McEvoy said.

“He’s got a fabulous (fitness) base on him and I think he’s in for a really good spring.”

Veight is an $11 chance in early Manikato Stakes betting while TAB rated him at $8 in its Golden Eagle market.

Originally published as Veight building up for Golden Eagle campaign with gallop at The Valley