Dragon Leap was a close-up fourth in the A$1million Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo / Supplied.

The relief of Dragon Leap showing he can be competitive in an Australian group 1 has been replaced by excitement and anticipation for what comes next for the team behind the comeback galloper.

Dragon Leap was a close-up fourth in the A$1million Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday, thrilling co-trainer Lance O’Sullivan who admits the race was a throw at the stumps and “sixth or seventh” would still have been pass mark.

Dragon Leap was aided by a handy draw in a largely on-pace race won by the leader but still beat home some very serious horses and earned A$45,000 for his fourth, twice as much as he would have earned finishing second to Imperatriz in the Foxbridge Plate had he stayed home.

That means he has now paid for his spring campaign and O’Sullivan and training partner Andrew Scott can target even more suitable A$1million races in the next six weeks.

“To run that well in a big weight-for-age group 1 in Australia shows he has still got it,” says O’Sullivan.

“It is not that we doubted that but he has had so many niggly issues in the last two years you still want them to prove they are back.

“He pushed Imperatriz close at Ruakaka before he went to Aussie and her win on Saturday coupled with his fourth suggest he is right back where we want him.”

Dragon Leap wasn’t well suited by the weight-for-age conditions on Saturday with his lack of winning form in the frustrating last two years leaving him on a low rating for a horse of his ability but that will hopefully be a good thing for his next two targets.

His trainers are hoping to get him into the A$1million Sir Rupert Clarke at Caulfield on September 17 and the A$1million Toorak also at Caulfield on October 8, both handicap races so Dragon Leap in which will be asked to carry close to the lowest weight.

“Being handicaps they are ideal targets and he has come through last Saturday really well, the girls looking after him over there say he was full of himself this morning (Monday) which is not like him,” says O’Sullivan.

“So he has two really good targets and has done enough on Saturday to confirm he won’t be coming home this spring.”

That doesn’t mean their Wexford Stables will be without major race players at home with Dark Destroyer a chance to go to Hastings for the Triple Crown starting next week while O’Sullivan is excited to get the untapped Karman Line back to the races.

Talented enough to finish a luckless third in the Karaka Mile last January, Karman Line will return to racing soon with a low rating of 69.

That means she will need to win a race to sneak into black type fields like the Couplands Mile at Riccarton, which the stable nominated her for yesterday as one potential spring opportunity.

“She is a very nice mare and we would obviously like to aim her at black type races this spring if she stays here but there are also be options for her in Australia,” said O’Sullivan.

One stable star who won’t be out and about this spring is Vodafone Derby winner Asterix, who hasn’t raced since winning the classic at Ellerslie on March 5.

“He has had some hoof issues and is on the water walker at Margaret Park so the spring is basically done for him and we will target the autumn,” says O’Sullivan.

– Michael Guerin

Quality galloper Dragon Leap showed he was right on track for his upcoming spring stakes assignments with a slashing run for second at Ruakaka on Saturday.

The six-year-old son of Pierro hadn’t been seen on raceday since finishing fourth in the Gr.3 Concorde Handicap (1200m) at Ellerslie back in January with just a quiet trial over 950m at Cambridge last month to fit him for his campaign opener.

Ridden patiently at the rear of the 11-horse field in the Kerikeri Cup (1100m), Dragon Leap was a clear last on the point of the home turn before launching a determined finish closer to the rail for rider Craig Grylls that saw him get within a short neck of multiple Group One winner Imperatriz at the winning post.

Trainer Lance O’Sullivan, who prepares the horse in partnership with Andrew Scott for owners Hermitage Thoroughbreds, was delighted to see his charge perform up to his expectations.

“He is a proper horse and I was confident he would be right in the firing line based on how he has come up for this preparation,” O’Sullivan said.

“He may be a six-year-old now but there is still plenty of life left in his legs as he has only had ten starts due to a few niggles with his feet.

“His feet are just fine now and that race was perfect for him to kick off in as the track had the fire out of it, but he wasn’t going to have a gut buster on a very heavy surface.

“I think the best part of his race was the closing sectional and he ran right through the line which is also a very good sign.

“He came home and ate up well and he appears to a pretty happy horse this morning (Sunday).”

O’Sullivan is confident the horse is right where he wants him as the Group One features during the Hastings Spring carnival loom on the horizon.

“The plan has always been that we will go to the Foxbridge Plate (Gr.2, 1200m) next and then to the Tarzino Trophy (Gr.1, 1400m) at Hastings after that,” he said.

“He pulled up perfectly sound on Saturday which gives us confidence to press on with that schedule although it is not set in concrete as he will tell us how he is going as we build into each race.

“He looks well suited to that Hastings carnival and that’s where the focus is for the time being.

“There is always an option to try something in Australia later on if he is going as well as we know he can, but we’re not trying to get ahead of ourselves after just one run in this campaign.

“He is such a lovely horse with a wonderful temperament, so it is a great feeling to have him back as sound and keen as he is.”

The Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) will be held at Te Rapa on Saturday August 27 with the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) run at Hastings a fortnight later.

– Breednet