One of the biggest talking points out of last week’s Sportsbet Warrnambool Cup heats wasn’t who ran – but who didn’t.
Fresh off his Group 1 Golden Easter Egg triumph, Off The Chart was a notable absentee from the Warrnambool Cup series, with trainer Peter Presutto opting for a more measured approach.
With a packed racing calendar and a dog coming off a huge campaign, Presutto made the call to prioritise longevity over another country cup tilt.
“He has had a big couple of months, and I wanted to make sure that I did the right thing by the dog,” Presutto said.
A country cup three-peat was firmly within reach following wins in the Ballarat and Shepparton Cups, but the decision was made to bypass Warrnambool, instead sending littermate On The Prowl to represent the kennel.
The focus has now shifted to Sandown’s upcoming feature races, with Off The Chart set to target the Group 1 Harrison-Dawson as part of the newly branded Trilogy series.
“We made the decision to target the Harrison-Dawson and then begin the Brisbane campaign after an exceptional trial at The Q last week,” Presutto said.
“I went into the trial thinking a 29.50 run would be a good first look at the track – he ended up going 29.29.”
Presutto also took litter mate On The Prowl to trial at The Q over the 300 where he broke the track record.
On The Prowl ran a big second to Slick Splits in a heat of the Warrnambool Cup on Thursday night to qualify for the final on Wednesday night.
