Owner-breeder Peter Gleeson says the Ballarat Pacing Cup might be part of Ride High's tilt at the summer's Group 1 features. Speaking before Saturday night's success at Melton, Gleeson felt the January 18 feature would be included in the horse's 2019-20 campaign. "I've had no discussion with (trainer) Clayton (Tonkin) about this at all, but I reckon he will probably run in the Bendigo Cup... then he'll probably run in the Ballarat Cup... then I presume he will run in the Hunter Cup," he said. A crack at the Miracle Mile is also on the cards in March. Top reinsman Greg Sugars said Ride High felt much better than he did in a first-up performance last month when winning on Saturday night. Despite only having a metre to spare on the line, the son of Art Major made light work of his opposition in the TAB Multiplier Westburn Grant Free For All (2240m). It was the five-year-old's second start back from a long injury lay-off and his first since November 9 when scraping home for victory over Hurricane Harley. "He had the race obviously comfortably in his grasp and I just tried to look after him as best I could," Sugars said of Saturday night's front-running display. "He probably overdid it a little bit. Once I eased him, he's eased too much and they run him to a slightly narrower margin than what we would have liked. "But it's nothing to be too concerned about. We took a lot of positives out of the horse. He felt a lot sharper than what he did in his first-up run to me and I'm pretty happy with what he did. "If I had have been fair dinkum and sort of pushed him right out, I think he would have held a pretty decent margin and looked very, very impressive." Sugars said it would now be a matter of getting the runs into Ride High, which has been to the races just twice since late August in 2018. "Obviously they are going to target some of the big races coming up early in the new year so I think we will just race wherever is suitable just to get a few runs under his belt and make sure he is in cherry ripe condition by the time those good races come up in January," Sugars said. Ride High has now won 10 of 11 career starts for more than $200,000 in prizemoney. His only defeat came in the 2018 Vicbred Super Series (3YO colts and geldings) Final at Group 1 level. Tonkin's partner Emma Stewart also trained a winner at Melton on Saturday night. The Storm Inside took out the Massina Builders Pace (1720m, NR 80-94) for champion driver Chris Alford.
Owner-breeder Peter Gleeson says the Ballarat Pacing Cup might be part of Ride High's tilt at the summer's Group 1 features.
Speaking before Saturday night's success at Melton, Gleeson felt the January 18 feature would be included in the horse's 2019-20 campaign.
"I've had no discussion with (trainer) Clayton (Tonkin) about this at all, but I reckon he will probably run in the Bendigo Cup... then he'll probably run in the Ballarat Cup... then I presume he will run in the Hunter Cup," he said.
A crack at the Miracle Mile is also on the cards in March.
Top reinsman Greg Sugars said Ride High felt much better than he did in a first-up performance last month when winning on Saturday night.
Despite only having a metre to spare on the line, the son of Art Major made light work of his opposition in the TAB Multiplier Westburn Grant Free For All (2240m).
It was the five-year-old's second start back from a long injury lay-off and his first since November 9 when scraping home for victory over Hurricane Harley.
"He had the race obviously comfortably in his grasp and I just tried to look after him as best I could," Sugars said of Saturday night's front-running display.
"He probably overdid it a little bit. Once I eased him, he's eased too much and they run him to a slightly narrower margin than what we would have liked.
"But it's nothing to be too concerned about. We took a lot of positives out of the horse. He felt a lot sharper than what he did in his first-up run to me and I'm pretty happy with what he did.
"If I had have been fair dinkum and sort of pushed him right out, I think he would have held a pretty decent margin and looked very, very impressive."
Sugars said it would now be a matter of getting the runs into Ride High, which has been to the races just twice since late August in 2018.
"Obviously they are going to target some of the big races coming up early in the new year so I think we will just race wherever is suitable just to get a few runs under his belt and make sure he is in cherry ripe condition by the time those good races come up in January," Sugars said.
Ride High has now won 10 of 11 career starts for more than $200,000 in prizemoney.
His only defeat came in the 2018 Vicbred Super Series (3YO colts and geldings) Final at Group 1 level.
Tonkin's partner Emma Stewart also trained a winner at Melton on Saturday night.
The Storm Inside took out the Massina Builders Pace (1720m, NR 80-94) for champion driver Chris Alford.
