Kent looking to back Solsay up in Standish

Sunday 29 December 2013, 5:34pm

Solsay's Christmas Stakes performance has trainer Mick Kent leaning towards a quick back-up into the Group Three Standish Handicap.

Solsay finished a close fourth in the Listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield last Thursday and Kent said he would make a call on Monday whether to accept for Wednesday's Standish (1200m) at Flemington.

"I'll make a final decision in the morning but it didn't look the hardest race," Kent said.

The trainer is also likely to accept with Boxing Day winner Danestroem in Wednesday's 1400m event for fillies and mares.

The trainer's main concern for Solsay in the Standish is that although the gelding is on the minimum 54kg, others with higher ratings than the six-year-old will carry the same weight.

"There's nothing frightening in the race, I don't think," Kent said.

"The thing is though that he's just so far out of the handicaps. He's an 84-rater. He could win four Saturday races before he had to get to this sort of rating he's going to be running off.

"That's the problem with these high minimum (weights)."

Kent was pleased with Solsay's showing in the Christmas Stakes in which he finished less than half a length from the winner Karacatis.

The Cranbourne trainer also has McNulty in the Listed Bagot Handicap (2500m) and while he says the four-year-old is also unsuited at the weights, he believes the track and distance is right.

McNulty, runner-up in this year's VRC St Leger over the same course and distance, has won just one of his 16 starts but has been placed eight times.

Kent said the Bagot (2800m) had been a target for McNulty but he had hoped the stayer would have posted more wins on the way through.

"He's looking for the trip and he obviously goes better at Flemington than Moonee Valley.

"He's a big track horse."

Danestroem made it three wins in a row with victory at Caulfield last week over 1200m and Kent said the mare was looking for 1400m and had done well since.

"If I don't run her here there's not much else for her in that right distance range," Kent said.

– AAP

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