Trainer Dominic Sutton is banking on Feroce to deliver the biggest prize money cheque of his career in the $10 million Golden Eagle at Randwick on Saturday. Sutton, who has been training for less than two years, already has a Group 1 win with Feroce in the Australian Guineas at Flemington.
Sutton has had the Golden Eagle programmed for Feroce since the gelding ended his three-year-old campaign with a sixth-place finish in the Australian Cup in March. After two encouraging runs at Caulfield, Sutton entered Feroce in the Toorak Handicap on October 11 with high expectations, but the race did not go as planned.
“It was obviously disappointing as we thought he could go there and win the Toorak, but we got the tactics wrong on the day,” Sutton said. “We tried to put him into the race, but he did a lot of work early. He ran the quickest sectionals from the gates, but we probably learned a bit about him in that he needs a bit of cover in these high-pressure Group 1 races.”
Feroce won a Flemington jump-out on October 24, showing he had lost none of his confidence. Sutton has worked the gelding right-handed to have him spot on for Saturday. At $61, Sutton believes Feroce is a forgotten horse in the race. “He’s going to be the forgotten horse going up there against the big names like Autumn Glow, Linebacker, Evaporate,” Sutton said.
With regular rider Billy Egan suspended, Sutton has called on Josh Parr for the ride. “Billy got a big slap on the wrist out of the Toorak, and it finishes after Derby Day,” Sutton said. “So, Josh Parr rides. He’s a very good jockey and gets rides in all the big races up there.”
