Adelaide’s 2016 Lighting Stakes First-Up for Power Trip

Saturday week’s Lightning Stakes 2016 at Morphettville Racecourse is scheduled for the first-up run for John McArdle’s impressive Cranbourne trial winner on Monday Power Trip.

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Power Trip targets Adelaide’s Lighting Stakes 2016 first-up Saturday week with the Cauflield Guineas a possible spring aim. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The rising three-year-old Hard Spun gelding raced in the morning’s second hit-out over 760m and enjoyed a half-length win under the control of Chris Parnham.

Parnham had the up-and-comer positioned just off the speed in the two-years-old trial for colts and geldings before revving him up for a powerful finish over the unraced Beale Street for Robbie Griffiths in 45.75 seconds.

The Mornington-trained youngster hasn’t raced since his sixth at Flemington behind Seaburge in March’s Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).

Winner of the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) last Melbourne Cup Carnival at the same track, Power Trip also caught the eye in the autumn when fourth to Extreme Choice at Caulfield in the coveted Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m).

McArdle has high hopes for the horse this coming Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and will kick-off his campaign in Adelaide on July 30.

Power Trip will run in the $100,000 Listed Lightning Stakes (1050m) having his maiden run in South Australia following his trial win this week that impressed McArdle.

“Obviously he’s going to be racing on turf against quality horses when he comes back but it was good to see that he didn’t need the ear muffs on and that he didn’t play up behind the barriers,” McArdle said.

“Even though he didn’t have cover he settled which was good and he didn’t try to run through the bridle or anything like that so I was quite happy with him.”

The trainer named a return to Melbourne second-up for Power Trip who will run at Caulfield Racecourse in the $150,000 Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) won last year Gold Symphony.

Gold Symphony backed-up at the track a fortnight later and enjoyed a Group 3 double taking out the McNeil Stakes (1200m), which could also be on the cards for Power Trip this spring.

“After he runs in the Lightning he’ll come home and run in the Vain and then we’ll decide where we go with him from there and whether he looks as though he’s going to be a miler or a sprinter,” McArdle said.

“If he’s a miler he’ll head towards a Caulfield Guineas path and if he’s a sprinter he’ll head towards the Coolmore.”

The $1 million Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) runs on October 8 followed by the $500,000 Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) run down the Flemington straight on Victoria Derby Day, October 29.

Power Trip is currently listed as a $50 roughie in futures Caulfield Guineas odds at bookies around the country, pre-nomination betting led by Peter & Paul Snowden’s Golden Slipper winner Capitalist.

Capitalist is set to resume in the $175,000 Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on August 6 in Sydney before a possible shot at the $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 10.

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