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Spring targets await, after Dalasan’s ‘best run’

Unsurprised by the “best run” of Dalasan’s career in last Saturday’s epic Queen Elizabeth Stakes, trainer Leon Macdonald is already turning his attention to springtime with his SA middle-distance star.

Dalasan ran the race of his life at Randwick in the $4 million, 2000m Group 1, finishing a close third to superstars Addeybb and Verry Elleegant, and leaving horses like Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet and All-Star Mile champion Mugatoo in his wake.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt it’s his best run,” said Macdonald, who prepares the four-year-old entire at Morphettville with Andrew Gluyas.

“He just gave his all.”

Saturday’s performance followed an equally outstanding run just seven days earlier, when Dalasan run a close third in the Group 1 Doncaster, also at Randwick, and also at big odds.

“The horse looked terrific and he’d done well since he’d been in Sydney,” Macdonald said.

“I couldn’t have been happier with his condition and he ran accordingly.

“The Doncaster was always his target – that’s what we set him for. He ran very well in the Doncaster, so he went on to the Queen Elizabeth.

“In the Queen Elizabeth you’ve got to remember the winner has won 12 races and run six placings out of 22 runs, and the second horse has won seven Group 1s.

“So, it wasn’t a bad field, was it? They were all Group 1 winners except him.”

That final missing item on Dalasan’s CV could play in the horse’s favour come spring time, when a number of Group 1 handicaps remain on the table.

“We want to win a Group 1 race with him,” Macdonald said.

“Obviously the Cox Plate would appeal, but who knows. There’s a fair few Group 1 races in the spring and it depends what the handicapper does with him.

“He was a 105 rater before the Doncaster, he ran third and they left him at 105.

“If they leave him around that rating… it sort of makes a big difference.

“You’ve got the Epsom Handicap, the Cantala Stakes, the Group 1 Toorak Handicap.

“There’s a lot of good (handicap) races that suit him, then you’ve got the good WFA races.”

Despite the pair of mighty Sydney runs, Macdonald rejects suggestions Dalasan is more effective the clockwise way of going.

“I don’t think so,” he said.

“He’s always shown us an enormous amount of ability. He has probably straightened up a bit as he’s got older.”

Dalasan – who collected $395,000 on Saturday to take his career earnings past $2.93 million –  ran second to Russian Camelot in the 2500m SA Derby at last year’s Adelaide Racing Carnival, but Macdonald believes 1600-2000m is the four-year-old’s optimum distance range.

Meanwhile with Dalasan spelling ahead of his spring campaign, Macdonald says the stable is resigned to being a bit player at the 2021 Adelaide Racing Carnival.

“We haven’t got a lot,” he said.

“Extra Time will run in the Nitschke Stakes (1400m) on Saturday and he’s probably (our) measuring stick in SA at the moment.

“Pearl Bandit is going very well, but he’s only a restricted horse, so he’ll hopefully find a nice restricted race over the carnival.

“Ichibansan will run Saturday in the Chairman’s Stakes (2040m). If he gets a good draw he probably runs a good race, but he’d have to run very well to run in the SA Derby, because that’ll be stronger again.”

PHOTO:

Dalasan (second from left) battles out the finish of last Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Winner Addeybb is second from right. IMAGE: racenet.com.au

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