Peters eyes the Railway
Connections of WATC Derby (2400m) winner Respondent will look to harness the three-year-old's explosive turn of foot by aiming him at the $1 million Railway Stakes (1600m).
After celebrating their fifth win in the WATC Derby on Saturday, leading breeder-owners Bob and Sandra Peters forecast Respondent's future was in mile races.
Respondent claimed the scalp of Ihtsahymn for the third time this autumn, rocketing home from last to beat the Group 1 winner by 1¼ lengths in the derby.
The Group 2 win capped an impressive campaign for the son of Haradasun, who also won the Lex Piper Stakes (1600m) and J C Roberts Stakes (1800m).
Mystic Prince won the derby for the Peters family last year. They have also had success in the race with fillies Dreamaway, Old Money and Natasha.
Real Love, also bred and raced by the Peters family and trained by Grant Williams, ran third behind stablemate Respondent.
Bob Peters said Respondent was likely to be aimed at the plums of the Ascot summer carnival, including the Railway Stakes and $500,000 Kingston Town Classic (1800m).
"He'll go for a spell now and he'll probably come back in the summer as a miler," Peters said.
"I don't think he'll be a stayer."
With further improvement, Respondent has the makings of becoming a top miler, according to winning jockey William Pike. The leading hoop made amends for what he described as a poor ride on Respondent in the Melvista Stakes by winning the derby.
"If he can take that next step against all-aged company, he'll be a brilliant miler," Pike said.
Trainer Fred Kersley said Ihtsahymn pulled up well from his second placing in the derby.
"He'll go for a well-earned, long spell," Kersley said.
"He was well ridden by Steven Parnham but was just beaten by a better horse on the day.
"We haven't looked at anything past the derby and his program for his return has not been discussed.
"He has a high rating which makes it hard."
Balmont Girl was slow to recover after running fourth and will also be spelled.
· Prentice gave Simon Foster the biggest win of his training career in Saturday's WA Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m), causing a huge boilover at $86.40 on tote.
"Hopefully we'll be back the same day next year for the derby," Foster said.
· Top Melbourne jockey Dwayne Dunn will make a low-key return from injury at Sandown on Wednesday.
Dunn has not ridden since December after suffering from bulging discs in his neck.
"He'll go for a spell now and he'll probably come back in the summer as a miler.""Respondent's breeder-owner *Bob Peters *
