TASMANIAN stayer Norsqui will tune up for the Sydney Cup in the National Jockeys Trust Handicap over 2000 metres at Flemington on Saturday.
Norsqui’s trainer Walter McShane said the horse is in top shape for Saturday’s race but warned punters that the gelding’s main mission is a further fortnight away.
“I am not expecting Norsqui to win on Saturday at Flemington because he has been trained to be at his best over 3200 metres on April 28 (in the Sydney Cup) but in saying that he is in great shape and I’m sure he will be competitive,” McShane said from his Broadmarsh stables today (Wednesday).
“The horse has been working well at Aquanita (Caulfield) where he has been staying while in Melbourne,” he said.
Norsqui was allocated 59.5kg by the handicapper so McShane has opted to book three-kilogram-claiming apprentice Ben Knobel to ride his stable star.
“We’ve opted to put a claiming apprentice on for this run and that will give him some weight relief and Ben (Knobel) is a very accomplished young rider who is riding in great form,” McShane said.
Depending on how Norsqui comes through this Saturday’s race McShane plans to send his star stayer to Sydney two days prior to the Sydney Cup.
“At the moment the plan is to take him to Sydney by road on the Thursday night (April 26), which is a 10-hour trip and have him settled into a stable on the Friday.”
“It’s how Aquanita usually transports their horses to Sydney and there have been no problems in the past,” he said.
Norsqui burst onto the national scene in February with a brilliant win in the Group 3 Mornington Cup and he followed up with a game third three weeks later in the Adelaide Cup over 3200 metres.
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