Racing
Premier’s Plate test for Guru Warrior
Two-pronged attack for Andrew Gluyas in Morphettville feature
Andrew Gluyas is confident the Premier's Plate is the right event to introduce promising stayer Guru Warrior to Black Type racing, but he is not taking anything for granted ahead of Saturday's $120,000 contest.
Some minor setbacks have the Morphettville trainer cautious ahead of the 2006-metre race at Morphettville, which will be Guru Warrior's first outing since making it four-straight wins on November 15.
"He missed a little bit of work leading into Saturday," Gluyas said.
"I was hoping to get in a jumpout or a trial and maybe even a race, but I just had to hold him up that little bit.
"So, in terms of work going in, I was hopeful to have a little bit more conditioning into him but, in saying that, he's got good form and it's a good opportunity for him to come up to Listed grade after working through his grades."
Guru Warrior's latest win, over 2250m in BM78 grade, was his third in a row as an odds-on favourite, while he was $3.10 equal favourite when he started his winning streak in a 1950m BM64 on the Parks track on September 27.
The combined winning margin of those four wins adds up to just under eight lengths, which impressed Gluyas given how erratically the Saxon Warrior gelding raced throughout them.
"He went through that winning run not doing everything completely right, so he's not the full bottle and I wouldn't expect to really see the best of him until next spring," Gluyas said.
"He had a tendency to run around under pressure, but what he does do is he travels well and once he got out to 2000 metres, that's where he really hit his straps and his ability to travel without effort really seemed to set up his races.
"That's what gives us something to like about him as we move into Saturday."
While Gluyas has a slight niggle around Guru Warrior, who is the $2.80 favourite, he's delighted with the way $14 chance Arugamama has come to hand for her first start since finishing down the track in the Skybeau Series Final (2500m) on November 22.
"She has had some good, positive trials and jump outs and I'm quite pleased where I've got her coming into a 2000-metre race fresh," he said.
"I think we've got her where we want her…she's there to perform well I reckon."
Arugamama, the 58kg topweight who will start from barrier five, will be ridden by Taylor Johnstone, while Jacob Opperman will partner Guru Warrior (55.5kg) from gate seven.
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