Switch in routine has Rohan thriving
Perth Cup favourite Rohan is blossoming with a changed training routine in preparation for Saturday's $250,000 LD Total Cox Stakes (2100m) at Ascot.
Trainer Vaughn Sigley said the gelding had thrived since a close third to Ihtsahymn and Luckygray in last Saturday week's Kingston Town Classic (1800m).
"He's bouncing around and giving curry to his trackwork riders," Sigley said. "I had previously been mainly training Rohan through bush.
"But now I'm keeping him out of heavy sand and he's going to the Lark Hill track. He's benefiting from the switch to a firm training surface and I couldn't be happier with him.
"Rohan's race jockey Glenn Smith is riding him in fast work.
"Shaun Meeres and Colin Haddon also work him."
TAB fixed odds has promoted Rohan to favouritism for the $500,000 Golden River Developments Perth Cup (2400m) on January 1 and Sigley is confident the five-year-old will relish another distance increase.
He stormed home to win the 2012 WATC Derby (2400m) before leg injuries kept him out of racing for 16 months.
"Rohan had a hole in a suspensory ligament," Sigley said.
"The horse's owners spelled him until problems healed and there's now no sign of trouble."
Jockey William Pike, suspended for 16 days after a winning double at Ascot on Saturday, has chosen to ride at the Cox Stakes-WA St Leger meeting rather than take a Perth Cup mount.
Pike chose to begin the suspension next Sunday rather than accept an immediate ban and be back in time for the cup.
The Adam Durrant-trained Crumpet O'Reilly, a winner at his past four starts, has been confirmed as a starter in the $100,000 WA St Leger (2100m).
"Crumpet O'Reilly is working well," Durrant's stable foreman Jason Miller said.
"We're very happy with him and he'll be a St Leger runner."
Miller said Mr Moet was on target for the Cox Stakes.
Trainer Trevor Andrews said a solid gallop tomorrow would top off Luckygray's preparation for the Cox Stakes.
Playing God and God Has Spoken will also start for trainer Neville Parnham.
He's bouncing around and giving curry to his trackwork riders."Vaughn Sigley
