Every bit of planning Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou do with Grebeni has the Big Dance in mind, but they are not ruling out a big win on the way to the $3million spring feature.
The Ocean Park four-year-old was the first horse to qualify for the Big Dance when he won the Goulburn Cup in November and returns for a winter campaign at Rosehill on Saturday.
Grebeni returns for a winter preparation with eyes for the Big Dance.Credit: Getty
The lure of the Big Dance burns bright but Alexiou sees more than one opportunity in the future for Grebeni.
“You can’t just think of the Big Dance with him because if you do that he could get [an injury] a couple of days out and you have wasted a year,” Alexiou said. “He is back now with the spring in mind.
“We know he is still developing as a horse and the spring is probably going to be when he is at his best, but we need to have a prep to get him there, and he’s capable of winning good races in it.
“The Big Dance has to be part of the thinking, but who’s to say he couldn’t win an Epsom or a Five Diamonds in the spring.”
Grebeni could target The Coast at Gosford in a fortnight or the Scone Cup before heading to Brisbane.
His preparation suffered a false start when his race was called off at Randwick last week. Instead, he will kick off the campaign from an outside gate in the Vale Lonhro Handicap over 1500m at Rosehill on Saturday.
“That’s what can happen and is why we are keeping an open mind with him. We were looking at a program that would have taken in the Hawkesbury Cup next week and then the Scone Cup with him,” Alexiou said.
“That has changed, but he has come on well and we’ll just see how he goes on Saturday and take it from there. He will get his chance at some nice races in the next couple of months.”
Grebeni has won seven of his 15 starts but is yet to win first up from spell. However, he has had plenty of work to have a sound base for his return.
“We have given him a really good build-up to be ready to go. He is a little more forward than we would usually have him, so we are happy to start at trip that will suit him of 1500m,” Alexiou said.
“He is always a horse that has got better with every run and every prep, and I can’t see that changing with him.”
Ryan and Alexiou have a strong team engaged at Rosehill. Let’s Try and Green Shadows are pushing for favouritism in their races, and Eagle Nest drops back from stakes company to a benchmark race with a good draw.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
