Sushi smashed them & Restrepo back on song

[triplev123]

Have to be happy with that Trev. Was waiting for him to get out of 2nd gear. No such luck.
Restrepo looked to be right back to his best tonight too. Last time out just a bit of a blip. Very exciting colt.

[aussiebreno]

Great to see him back.
Also good to see some the 3yos come back earlier in preparation for the Vic Derby. Too often they've been 1st or 2nd up whereas the Kiwis came across with match fitness and made the Aussies pay.

[triplev123]

Hey Breno. Do you think Restrepo will get the distance in the Derbies?
A mate of mine and I have been debating this for a while now. To me he looks a fair bit stronger this time in.

[aussiebreno]

I think he will. It may not be ideal for him; he ran 26.9 home last night which isn't going to happen in a Derby, but he should get it. Or at least looks like he gets it in 3yo company.
He will get an easy starting point too, 2240 Vic Derby...or 2230m SA Derby if they go there next weekend. He won at 2240m last year winning by 15m so thats a positive.
What was the conclusion you and your mate have come too?
The injury may have done him more good than harm in the long run.

[Don Corleone]

Hey guys for what it's worth I think he will get the trip easily. He looks the part now.

[triplev123]

As good a horse as he is when he gets loose on the lead I think he'll be an absolute killer coming off a helmet. G. Sugars drove him perfectly. If he sits in on front end speed he will kill them. A great looking horse too, right from when he was a yearling. Classy type. Annie Dalton prepped him & she loved him.

[David Summers]

Loved Dan Milecki's call in the home straight in Sushi's race, describing Greg Sugars "doing an impersonation of a statue" , not moving at all in the sulky , in the run to the line.

[eliteblood]

As good a horse as he is when he gets loose on the lead I think he'll be an absolute killer coming off a helmet. G. Sugars drove him perfectly. If he sits in on front end speed he will kill them. A great looking horse too, right from when he was a yearling. Classy type. Annie Dalton prepped him & she loved him.

Dribblev,

Are you talking about Sushi or Restrepo, or a combination of both ?

[aussiebreno]

Dribblev,

Are you talking about Sushi or Restrepo, or a combination of both ?
I'd say Sushi Sushi, VVV made mention of G Sugars driving him. But yes it could be about both!

[triplev123]

Nah, I wrote G. Sugars, should have been G. Lang. Sorry.
Talking of G. Sugars, I think Dashing Dan's stealing my Cigar Store Indian material there.;)He never moved on Sushi. Can't wait until he really calls on the horse Trevor. That's going to be something to see. Looks to me like he can turn in a 26 or sub 26 quarter pretty much any time he's asked, early, middle, late in the race. The most impressive horse I've seen since Christian Cullen at his best.

[Village Kid]

The most impressive horse I've seen since Christian Cullen at his best.

Wow thats a huge call VVV, theres been some fair horses since the great Kiwi.

This is in no way meant to denegreate the horse in any way, and he can't do any more than he's done to date, but like all champion juvenile performers the test will come when he faces open Grand Circuit company. We've had some wonderful youngsters that haven't gone it with it as older horses, for a whole variety of reasons but it would be great to see this horse make the jump to open grade.

Either way the battles with Excel Stride in the 4 Yr Old features this season should make for epic viewing, if Excel Stride draws to land in front of Sushi Sushi we could have a different result. Will be a relief to see the actual racing generate some headlines for the sport, instead of al; this negaive publicity. I'm a huge fan of the sport but there doesn't seem to be too many left...

Cheers

[triplev123]

Yeh, it is a big call but I really do think he'll go on. We saw the best of his dam, Sabilize, at 4yrs & beyond & his sire Art Major was arguably also at his best at 4yrs, won 8 of 11 incl. the US Pacing Ch'ship, Open Breeders Crown and the Canadian Pacing Derby. Had he not been retired to stud he would almost certainly have raced on successfully from there at 5yrs+...so I think there's also some natural improvement in Sushi. We'll see soon enough I guess. If they take it relatively easy with him in his 4yo career & let him get used to racing those older horses and then line him to go at them from the jump at 5yrs & beyond then I think the Sky's the limit. Excel Stride's the same. Out of some bad draws he was very game in defeat on a number of occasions last season. Sushi's brilliant but I'm not prepared to count out Emilio's horse either. Good stuff huh? Wonderful horses.