Thedoctoroflove on trial for NZ Derby start at Sandown Lakeside

A lack of suitable options has forced Thedoctoroflove to be tested against older horses to determine whether the promising three-year-old will head to NZ for a Group 1 assignment.

Preparing for a Group 1 target across the Tasman is the reason Thedoctoroflove will take on older horses at Saturday’s Sandown Lakeside meeting.

Thedoctoroflove will step into open-age racing in the Live Life Foundation Handicap (2100m) at only his fourth start, giving away a significant amount of experience to his opposition.

The son of So You Think broke through for his first win when finishing strongly to claim a three-year-old race over 2000m at Flemington on January 11.

Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young would have liked another three-year-old race to form part of Thedoctoroflove’s campaign but a lack of options forced the stable into Saturday’s Benchmark 78 contest.

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“We’re trying to get him to New Zealand for the New Zealand Derby,” Busuttin said.

“He’s a big horse that does well between runs but at this time of the year, there’s no three-year-old 2000m races around.

“Potentially, he could go to Auckland on the 22nd of February for the Derby trial but it would be too long between races so we need to run him on Saturday.”

Thedoctoroflove is a $6 chance in early betting for the $130,000 race but Busuttin said the inexperienced galloper faced a tricky task to win at Sandown.

However, Busuttin said Thedoctoroflove’s Sandown performance would determine whether the gelding had the ability to beat the ruling NZ Derby favourite Willydoit.

New winner for So You Think

Thedoctoroflove (3g So You Think x Liberty Lover)
220k buy for @busuttin & Andrew Campbell from @millparkstud at @mmsnippets Gold Coast.

3rd start. First time to 2000m.
Season winner 90 for the sire@[e-mail]/2o5g7A2LZk

— Breednet (@BreednetNews) January 11, 2025

“Certainly we’re aware that he’s up against it in a Benchmark 78, 2100m race against older horses, but we’re not going there expecting to win on Saturday,” Busuttin said.

“But the reality is, if he couldn’t run a good race, he’s not good enough to go to New Zealand anyway.

“He’d want to run well in it, but we’re aware that jumping up to 78 grade against older seasoned horses is hard.

“I think the (NZ Derby) favourite Willydoit is a very good horse from what I have seen.”

• Early Oil: Sandown race-by-race preview for Saturday

Apprentice Jett Stanley’s 2kg claim will take Thedoctoroflove’s weight to 52kg at Sandown.

Busuttin said Thedoctoroflove’s Flemington effort showed he would be effective over longer distances than 2000m.

“I think he’s a mile and a half horse,” Busuttin said.

At Flemington, he was on the second horse’s back the whole way and at the 300m, that horse quickened and put three lengths on him, and I thought we were going to run second.

“Then he’s picked up in the last 100m so it shows the 2100m will be good.”

Originally published as Thedoctoroflove on trial for NZ Derby start at Sandown Lakeside